Enantioselective synthesis biocatalytic asymmetric reduction

For a long time, kinetic resolution of alcohols via enantioselective oxidation or via acyl transfer employing, for example, lipases along with dynamic kinetic resolution have been the biocatalytic methods of choice for the preparation of chiral alcohols. In recent years, however, impressive progress has been made in the use of alcohol dehydrogenases (ADHs) and ketor-eductases (KREDs) for the asymmetric synthesis of alcohols by stereoselective reduction of the corresponding ketones. Furthermore, recent remarkable multienzymatic systems have been successfully applied to the deracemisation of alcohols via stereoinversion based on an enantioselective oxidation followed by an asymmetric reduction. 

Campos, KR, Klapars A, Kohmura Y, Pollard D, Ishihashi H, Kato S, Takezawa A, Waldman JH, Wallace DJ, Chen C, Yasuda N. Enantioselective, biocatalytic reduction of 3-substituted cyclopentenones application to the asymmetric synthesis of an hNK-1 receptor antagonist. Org. Lett. 2011 13 1004-1007. 

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