Organic Synthesis with Oxidoreductases

Abstract

Enzymes involved in the biocatalyzed oxidations are dehydrogenases and oxidases. The functional groups involved in the bio-oxidations include hydroxyls of primary and secondary alcohols, carbonyls of aldehydes, saturated C–C bonds, C–N bond of amino acids, amines, nitroalkanes, and thiols. The stereoselective oxidation of secondary alcohols to produce ketones is of greatest interest in organic synthesis for its applications in pharmaceutical industries. The oxidation of alcohols and aldehydes to form corresponding aldehydes, ketones, and carboxylic acids has been used by cells to produce important intermediates or precursors during the biosynthetic pathways. Nature has demonstrated the ability of biocatalysts for the hydroxylation of alkanes that many microorganisms have evolved enzymes for activating alkanes by oxidation of one of the terminal methyl groups to generate the corresponding primary alcohol in the presence of oxygen. The chapter provides information on the reduction reactions of aldehydes and ketones, and C–C bonds.