Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 28, 2026

A Microwave-Assisted Direct Heteroarylation of Ketones Using Transition Metal Catalysis
Published on: February 16, 2020
Asymmetric Reduction of Aryl Ketones by Enzymatic Catalysis with Engineered Ketoreductases
Meng Li1,2, Linsong Yang2,3,4, Tan Zhang2
1College of Life and Geographic Sciences, Key Laboratory of Biological Resources and Ecology of Pamirs Plateauin Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Kashi University, Kashi 844000, China.
Abstract:
Chiral benzylic alcohols serve as key intermediates in the pharmaceutical industry. Through structure-guided semirational engineering, a mutant library of ketoreductase KR8 was developed that catalyzes the stereoselective reduction of aryl ketones to chiral benzylic alcohols with high enantioselectivity. In combination with KR14, these ketoreductases form a stereocomplementary biocatalytic tool box featuring a broad substrate scope. For 12 aryl ketone substrates, the corresponding enantiomers of benzylic alcohols were all obtained with high stereoselectivity and conversion efficiency. This work provides an efficient biocatalytic strategy for the synthesis of chiral pharmaceutical intermediates.
Related Concept Videos
Reduction of Alkenes: Asymmetric Catalytic Hydrogenation
The metal catalyst used can be either heterogeneous or homogeneous. When hydrogenation of an alkene generates a chiral center, a pair of enantiomeric products is expected to form. However, an enantiomeric excess of one of the products can be facilitated using an enantioselective reaction or an...
Alcohols from Carbonyl Compounds: Reduction
Catalytic hydrogenation is similar to the reduction of an alkene or alkyne by adding H2 across the pi bond in the presence of transition metal catalysts like Raney Ni, Pd–C, Pt, or Ru. Aldehydes and ketones can be reduced by this method, often under mild to moderate heat...
Preparation of Aldehydes and Ketones from Carboxylic Acid Derivatives
Carboxylic acid derivatives like acid chlorides and esters are more easily reducible than the corresponding acids. The derivatives reduce in the presence of mild reducing agents to give aldehydes. Aldehydes can also be prepared by Rosenmund reduction, that is, the reduction of...
α-Hydroxy Ketones via Reductive Coupling of Esters: Acyloin Condensation Overview
Protecting Groups for Aldehydes and Ketones: Introduction
Reduction of Alkynes to cis-Alkenes: Catalytic Hydrogenation
Like alkenes, alkynes can be reduced to alkanes in the presence of transition metal catalysts such as Pt, Pd, or Ni. The reaction involves two sequential syn additions of hydrogen via a cis-alkene intermediate.

