Processes for the preparations of optically active cyclopentenones and cyclopentenones prepared therefrom

A process for preparing an optically active 4-hydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one derivative, comprising reacting a racemic mixture of the compound of Formula 1

• wherein R1 is an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, an aryl, or an aralkyl, each of which is unsubstituted or substituted with one or more substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, aryl, alkoxyl, aryloxy, thioalkoxy, thioaryloxy, alkylamino, arylamino, cyano, alkoxycarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, arylaminocarbonyl, alkylaminocarbonyl, and carbonyl or a heterocyclic group selected from the group consisting of pyridinyl, thiophenyl, furanyl, imidazolyl, morpholinyl, oxazolinyl, piperidinyl, piperazinyl, tetrahydropyranyl, pyrrolidinyl and pyrrolidinonyl, or a protective group for the carboxyl group, with an acyl donor and a lipase derived from Candida antarcitica, Achromobacter spp., Alcaligenese spp., Pseudomonas fluorescens, Pseudomonas stutzri, or Pseudomonas cepacia in the presence of an organic solvent.