Biocatalytic platforms to produce optically active α-hydroxy-ketones

Optically active α-hydroxy ketones are valuable building blocks for the further production of many pharmaceuticals and fine chemical compounds. The chemical synthetic approach for those structures is not always straightforward and/or economically attractive. Four different biocatalytic platforms aiming to efficiently produce those compounds have been developed: I) Use of hydrolases, to produce α-hydroxy ketones by means of (in situ) competitive Dynamic Kinetic Resolutions (DKR´s); II) Use of dehydrogenases for the chemo- and stereoselective oxidation of vic-diols III) Use of dehydrogenases for the chemo- and stereoselective reduction of 1,2 diketones IV) Deracemization of racemic α-hydroxy ketones using whole cell systmes. The four platforms provide an useful synthetic toolbox for the preparation of important enantiomerically enriched α-hydroxy ketones used as building blocks.