Biocatalysis for the selective reduction of carbonyl groups

The stereoselective reduction of carbonyl groups is a common organic reaction that involves the stereocontrolled addition of hydrogen to these groups, resulting in the formation of optically active alcohols, valuable compounds with several applications in organic chemistry. This reaction can be carried out using a variety of reducing agents, including metal hydrides, boranes, and hydrogen gas in the presence of chiral catalysts. The development of biocatalytic procedures implies the use of alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) as catalysts for the selective preparation of chiral alcohols, as these redox enzymes can catalyze the selective bioreduction of ketones and aldehydes. The use of this biocatalytic approach offers several advantages over traditional chemical methods, including high activity and enantioselectivity, mild reaction conditions, and the use of renewable cofactors. ADHs are nowadays well established as a useful alternative for the synthesis of several valuable chiral alcohols employed as drugs or drugs’ intermediates, being employed at lab and industrial scales.