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Synfacts 2006(11): 1169-1169  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-949461
Organo- and Biocatalysis
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

Biocatalytic Asymmetric Reduction of Ketones Using Designer Cells

Contributor(s): Benjamin List, Daniela Kampen
H. Gröger, F. Chamouleau, N. Orologas, C. Rollmann, K. Drauz, W. Hummel, A. Weckbecker, O. May*
Degussa AG, Hanau and Heinrich-Heine-Universität, Research Centre Jülich, Germany
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Publication History

Publication Date:
24 October 2006 (online)

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Significance

Designer cells have been developed as catalysts for the asymmetric reduction of ketones. Whole-cell catalysts 1 mediate the reduction of carbonyl compounds 2 in the presence of d-glucose to give (R)- or (S)-alcohols 3 in high conversions and excellent enantioselectivities. Both aromatic and aliphatic substrates as well as α-keto esters can be used. Furthermore, one example of a ketone (2a) has been demonstrated to undergo the reduction on a technical scale in good yield and with essentially perfect stereocontrol.