Allylic compounds microbial oxidation

Optically active epoxides are useful chiral synthons in the phamaceutical synthesis of prostaglandins. Microbial epoxidation of olefinic compounds was first demonstrated by van der Linden [241]. Subsequently, May et al. [242] demonstrated the epoxidation of alkenes in addition to hydroxylation of alkanes by an m-hydroxylase system. Oxidation of alk-l-enes in the range C6-C12, a,(o-dienes from C6-C12, alkyl benzene, and allyl ettiers were demonstrated using an co-hydroxylase enzyme system from Pseudomonas oleovorans. i -Epoxy compounds in greater than 75% e.e. were produced by epoxidation re tions using the co-hydroxylase system [243,244]. The epoxidation system from Nocardia cor-allina is very versatile, has broad substrate specificity, and reacts with unfunctionalized aliphatic as well as aromatic olefins to produce i -epoxides [245,246]. 

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