Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Isolation and Screening from Soil Biodiversity for Fungi Involved in the Degradation of Recalcitrant Materials
Published on: May 16, 2022
Stereoselective oxidation of alkylbenzenes by fungi
1Graduate School of Biological Sciences, Nara Institute of Science and Technology, 8916-5 Takayama, Ikoma, Nara 630-0101, Japan.
Abstract:
Oxygenase is useful when oxygen is to be introduced at a nonactivated carbon-hydrogen bond to give an optically active center. To obtain such an enzyme from microorganisms, we screened soil samples for organisms that assimilated methylethylketone as their sole carbon source. Yeasts and molds that converted ethylbenzene and propylbenzene into their respective oxygenated products during incubation together as resting cells were isolated. One particularly potent strain was identified as Fusarium moniliforme. The fungus oxidized the side chains of ethylbenzene and propylbenzene selectively at the benzylic position. The products were found to be 1-phenylethanol and 1-phenylpropanol, respectively, by GC-MS and HPLC with a chiral column, with 100% enantiomeric excess of the (R-(+)-form.
More Related Videos
05:34Efficient Synthesis of Polyfunctionalized Benzenes in Water via Persulfate-promoted Benzannulation of α,β-Unsaturated Compounds and Alkynes
Published on: December 16, 2019
08:31Anaerobic Protein Purification and Kinetic Analysis via Oxygen Electrode for Studying DesB Dioxygenase Activity and Inhibition
Published on: October 3, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Hydroboration-Oxidation of Alkenes
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Osmium Tetraoxide
Oxidative Cleavage of Alkenes: Ozonolysis
Ozone is a symmetrical bent molecule stabilized by a resonance structure.
Radical Oxidation of Allylic and Benzylic Alcohols
Reactions at the Benzylic Position: Oxidation and Reduction
Reactions of Aldehydes and Ketones: Baeyer–Villiger Oxidation
The carbonyl center is activated by...