A New Practical Synthesis of Ethyl (R)-(-)-4-Cyano-3-hydroxybutyrate From (S)-3-chloro-1,2-propanediol

A practical chemical synthesis of ethyl (R)-(-)-4-Cyano-3-hydroxybutyrate((R)-CNHB) has been accomplished from (S)-3-chloro-1,2-propanediol, which is a main by-product originating from (S,S)-Salen Co(III) catalyzed by hydrolytic kinetic resolution (HKR) of epichlorohydrin. The new synthetic approach demonstrated an efficient utilization of organic by-product for the asymmetric synthesis of the intermediate of atorvastatin.