title: Efficient chemoenzymatic synthesis of chiral pincer ligands.
abstract: Chiral, nonracemic pincer ligands based on the 6-phenyl-2-aminomethylpyridine and 2-aminomethylbenzo[h]quinoline scaffolds were obtained by a chemoenzymatic approach starting from 2-pyridyl and 2-benzoquinolyl ethanone. In the enantiodifferentiating step, secondary alcohols of opposite absolute configuration were obtained by a baker's yeast reduction of the ketones and by lipase-mediated dynamic kinetic resolution of the racemic alcohols. Their transformation into homochiral 1-methyl-1-heteroarylethanamines occurred without loss of optical purity, giving access to pincer ligands used in enantioselective catalysis.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Chimiche, Università di Trieste, via Giorgieri 1, I-34127 Trieste, Italy. ffelluga@units.it
authors.forename: Fulvia
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Felluga
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Baratta
authors.forename: Lidia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fanfoni
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pitacco
authors.forename: Pierluigi
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rigo
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Benedetti