Whole-cell yeast-mediated preparation of (R)-2-chloro-1-(3-nitrophenyl) ethanol as a synthetic precursor for (R)-phenylephrine

D Tokoshima, K Hanaya, M Shoji, T Sugai

Index: Tokoshima, Daisuke; Hanaya, Kengo; Shoji, Mitsuru; Sugai, Takeshi Journal of Molecular Catalysis B: Enzymatic, 2013 , vol. 97, p. 95 - 99

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Citation Number: 4

Abstract

Abstract The incubated whole-cell biocatalyst of Pichia minuta JCM 3622 reduced 2-chloro- 1-(3-nitrophenyl) ethanone to provide (R)-2-chloro-1-(3-nitrophenyl) ethanol with 99.2% ee in 87% isolated yield in the presence of Amberlite XAD-7 as a reservoir for the hydrophobic, crystalline and toxic substrate. The product was transformed to (R)-1-(3-hydroxyphenyl)-2- methylaminoethanol (phenylephrine, 1a), a selective α 1-adrenergic receptor agonist, in ...