Methyl D-lactate

Methyl D-lactate is the methyl ester of D-lactic acid, used as a chiral building block in fine-chemical synthesis. It combines a defined stereogenic center with a secondary hydroxyl group and a methyl ester. These two functional groups provide separate points for derivatization, allowing the molecule to introduce a D-lactate-derived fragment while supporting further conversion at the alcohol or ester position.

The material is a liquid alpha-hydroxy ester, also described as methyl (R)-2-hydroxypropionate. Its principal value in this grade is stereochemical identity rather than the bulk-solvent function associated with racemic lactate esters. Chemical purity and enantiomeric composition describe different attributes: a high assay alone does not establish the proportion of the required D-isomer.

Typical Applications

• Chiral intermediate manufacture: Used in synthesis routes requiring an enantiomerically defined lactate fragment. The existing stereocenter can be carried into downstream intermediates while the hydroxyl and ester groups are transformed according to the target structure.
• Functionalized lactate derivatives: Used to prepare O-substituted lactate esters and other derivatives of the alpha-hydroxyl group. These compounds serve as intermediates in specialty synthesis where both the branched oxygen functionality and its stereochemical arrangement matter.
• Hydroxy-acid derivative synthesis: Used as an ester starting material for conversion into corresponding acid or amide derivatives in fine-chemical development. This allows the carboxyl-derived functionality to be modified while retaining a D-lactate-based molecular framework.

Specifications

Specifications describe the standard grade. Tolerance, test method and documentation package are confirmed per order.