title: Synthesis of enantiopure epoxides through biocatalytic approaches.
abstract: Enantiopure epoxides, as well as their corresponding vicinal diols, are valuable intermediates in fine organic synthesis, in particular for the preparation of biologically active compounds. The necessity of preparing such target molecules in an optically pure form has triggered much research, leading to the emergence of various new methods based on either conventional chemistry or enzymatically catalyzed reactions. In this review, we focus on the biocatalytic approaches, which include direct epoxidation of olefinic double bonds as well as indirect biocatalytic methods, and which allow for the synthesis of these important chiral building blocks in enantiomerically enriched or even enantiopure form.
authors.affiliation: Groupe Biocatalyse et Chimie Fine, ERS 157 associée au CNRS, Faculté des Sciences de Luminy, Marseille, France.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Archelas
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Furstoss
mesh_terms: D001671:Biochemistry / Q000379:methods*; D004852:Epoxy Compounds / Q000138:chemical synthesis*; D006418:Heme / Q000378:metabolism; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated / Q000378:metabolism; D006867:Hydrolases / Q000378:metabolism; D008697:Methane / Q000378:metabolism; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D010088:Oxidoreductases / Q000378:metabolism; D010105:Oxygenases / Q000378:metabolism; D010544:Peroxidases / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D004852:Epoxy Compounds; D006846:Hydrocarbons, Halogenated; D006418:Heme; D006899:Mixed Function Oxygenases; D010088:Oxidoreductases; D010544:Peroxidases; D010105:Oxygenases; D006867:Hydrolases; D008697:Methane