Synthesis of aromatic 1,2-amino alcohols utilizing a bienzymatic dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/adsc.200700051

The applicability of the recent published bienzymatic protocol for the synthesis of (R)-2-amino-1-phenylethanol was tested using L-threonine aldolase from Pseudomonas putida and L-tyrosine decarboxylase from either Enterococcus faecalis (Efa) or two genes from Enterococcus faecium (Efil, Efi2). In all 21 benzaldehyde derivatives were applied for an initial TLC screening. On a small scale, octopamine and noradrenaline were obtained as (S)-enantiomers using Efil. Three protocols were upscaled yielding enantioenriched (S)-octopamine (yield 99%, ee 81%), (R)-2-amino-1-phenylethanol (yield 61%, ee 62%) and (S)-noradrenaline (yield 76%, ee 79%).