Chemoenzymatic synthesis of alpha-halogeno-3-octanol and 4- or 5-nonanols.Application to the preparation of chiral epoxides

A study of the microbiological reduction of different alpha-halogenoketones (4-chloro-3-octanone, 4-chloro-5-nonanone, 5-bromo-4-nonanone and 5-chloro -4-nonanone) with several strains of microorganism showed great difficulty in reducing ketone functions located in the middle of carbon chains. Howeve r, by choosing the appropriate microorganism, several enantiomerically pure diastereoisomers of the corresponding halohydrins have been obtained and w ere transformed into chiral epoxides. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All ri ghts reserved.