Chemoenzymatic autocatalytic Baeyer–Villiger oxidation

Autocatalytic Baeyer–Villiger oxidation of cyclic ketones to lactones mediated by lipases has been achieved under extremely mild conditions in dry media using urea–hydrogen peroxide as the primary oxidant. Lipase catalysed perhydrolysis is enantiospecific and gives 6-substituted caprolactones or the corresponding hydroxy acids in enantiomerically enriched form.