Microbiological transformations. Part 46: Preparation of enantiopure (S)-2-pyridyloxirane via epoxide hydrolase-catalysed kinetic resolution

Microbial epoxide hydrolases for preparative biotransformations

Epoxide hydrolases from microbial sources are highly versatile biocatalysts for the asymmetric hydrolysis of epoxides on a preparative scale. Besides kinetic resolution, which furnishes the corresponding vicinal diol and remaining non-hydrolysed epoxide in nonracemic form, enantioconvergent processes are possible: these are highly attractive as they lead to the formation of a single enantiomeric diol from a racemic oxirane. The data accumulated over recent years reveal a common picture of the substrate structure selectivity pattern of microbial epoxide hydrolases and indicate that substrates of various structural types can be selectively hydrolysed with enzymes from certain microbial sources.

Synthetic applications of epoxide hydrolases

There have been several recent advances in the area of biocatalysed hydrolytic kinetic resolution of epoxides using 'newly discovered' enzymes (i.e. epoxide hydrolases). These biocatalysts, two of which will become commercially available in the near future, appear to be highly promising tools for fine organic synthesis, as they enable the preparation of various epoxides and/or their corresponding diols in enantiopure form.