1999 biochemical syntheses, microbiological syntheses

biochemical syntheses, microbiological synthesesO 0035

50 - 041Stereoselective Oxidation and Reduction by Immobilized Geotrichumcandidum in an Organic Solvent. — Cells of the title fungus Geotrichumcandidum, immobilized on the water-absorbing polymer BL-100 r©, catalyze theenantioselective oxidation of racemic arylethanols (I) and (III) as well as theenantioselective reduction of aryl methyl ketones (II) and (IV). The oxidationreaction proceeds in hexane in the presence of cyclohexanone and affords thecorresponding ketones and pure unreacted (R)-arylethanols. The reductionreaction is best achieved using 2-hexanol as the hydrogen source in hexane andprovides optically pure (S)-arylethanols. The reaction mechanism is studiedby model and labelling reactions and by measuring the partition of substratesand products between hexane and the aqueous phase in the polymer. —(NAKAMURA, KAORU; INOUE, YUKO; MATSUDA, TOMOKO; MISAWA,IBUKI; J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1 (1999) 16, 2397-2402; Inst. Chem. Res.,Kyoto Univ., Uji, Kyoto 611, Japan; EN)

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