Zhu Dunming, Ankati Haribabu, Mukherjee Chandrani, Yang Yan, Biehl Edward R, Hua Ling
Department of Chemistry, Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas 75275, USA.
Org Lett. 2007 Jun 21;9(13):2561-3. doi: 10.1021/ol070962b. Epub 2007 May 24.
Alpha-ethylation is concomitant with the reduction of aromatic beta-ketonitriles catalyzed by whole-cell biocatalysts. Use of isolated carbonyl reductase has completely eliminated this competing reaction. (R)-beta-Hydroxy nitriles were obtained via a reduction catalyzed by a recombinant carbonyl reductase with excellent optical purity and were further converted to (R)-beta-hydroxy carboxylic acids via a nitrilase-catalyzed hydrolysis. The present study allows ready access to both chiral beta-hydroxy nitriles and beta-hydroxy carboxylic acids of pharmaceutical importance.
