Chiral alcohols, which are highly versatile building blocks for the synthesis of active ingredients, are produced by reducing ketones, which can be done in one of three ways - asymmetric hydrogenation, enzymatic reduction and reduction with hydrosiloxanes.
Each of these pathways can be derived from Wacker's Triple Synthesis Power platform, which combines organic synthesis, silane chemistry and biotechnology in one molecule.
Exactly which pathway to take depends on the chemical properties of the ketone and the manufacturer's price and purity requirements.
"Our product is unique because no other company provides three platforms in one," a company spokesman told In-PharmaTechnologist.com.
>Wacker also recently expanded its aetylacetone production capacity in Germany and is now the world's largest aetylacetone producer.
The company said this was in response to growing global demand for acetylacetone, which is being increasingly used to produce several basic building blocks for the synthesis of agrochemical and pharmaceutical actives.
