2-Steps in 1-pot: enzyme cascades for the synthesis of chiral vicinal amino alcohols

Amino alcohols, and especially nor(pseudo)ephedrines, are compounds with various
applications in organic synthesis and in the pharmaceutical industry. The strategies
to these chiral molecules by classical chemical or chemo-enzymatical syntheses are
challenging and therewith draw interest for industrial research efforts. In this thesis,
the potential of enzyme cascades for the synthesis of chiral primary vicinal amino
alcohols was demonstrated. In detail, the 2-step cascades combining thiamine
diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzymes and ?-transaminases were investigated for
the synthesis of nor(pseudo)ephedrines. This approach represents a completely new
strategy for getting access to chiral amino alcohols. These valuable chemicals are
now accessible in a highly atom- and step-efficient enzymatic process in only two
reaction steps from inexpensive, achiral starting materials.