Baker's yeast-mediated reduction of α-hydroxy ketones and derivatives: The steric course of the biotransformation

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4020(01)89594-6

The results from the baker's yeast-mediated reduction of the acetates 3a- d and the methyl ethers 5a-d were compared with the same biotransformation which converts the α-hydroxy ketones 1a-d into the (R)-diols 2a-d (90- 98%ee); the acetates 3a-d afford the (S)-monoacetates 4a-d (72-94% ee) and the methyl ethers 5a-d are reduced to the (R)-monoethers 6a-d (64-76% ee).