Production of alkenes from 3-hydroxy-1-carboxylic acids via 3-sulfonyloxy-1-carboxylic acids

A method for producing an alkene from a 3-hydroxy-1-carboxylic acid comprising enzymatically converting, using a sulfotransferase, a 3-hydroxy-1-carboxylic acid of the following general formula I:

• into a 3-sulfonyloxy-1-carboxylic acid of the following general formula II:
• and then converting the 3-sulfonyloxy-1-carboxylic acid by thermal conversion into an alkene of the following general formula III:
• wherein R1 and R3 are independently selected from hydrogen (—H), methyl (—CH3), ethyl (—CH2-CH3), isopropyl (—CH2(CH3)2), vinyl (—CH═CH2) and isopropenyl (—C(CH3)=CH2) and in which R2 and R4 are independently selected from hydrogen (—H) and methyl (—CH3).