Microbial Reduction of 1-Tetralone 2-Carboxyesters as a Source of New Asymmetric Synthons

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/S0040-4039(00)76837-7

The reduction of unsubstituted or methoxy-substituted (+/-)-2-carboxyethyl-1-tetralones by selected microorganisms affords optically active 1-hydroxy-2-carboxyethyl tetralins which can be used as versatile asymmetric synthons, for example in the preparation of biologically active methoxy-substituted 2R-aminotetralins. 1R,2R-(cis)-hydroxyesters of high optical purity are obtained with yeast strains, while the use of filamentous fungi leads to the enantiomeric 1S,2S-(cis)-hydroxyesters.