Michael Paul Burns

Application of biocatalysis towards asymmetric reduction and hydrolytic desymmetrisation in the synthesis of a β-3 receptor agonist

Chemoenzymatic syntheses of two key intermediates in the preparation of a potent β-3 receptor agonist 1 are described. A lipase-catalysed hydrolytic desymmetrisation is employed in a new synthesis of intermediate 7, which avoids the use of alkyl-tin reagents. A second biotransformation delivers chiral chlorohydrin 5 from its parent ketone in greater enantiomeric excess than the previously-described Noyori-reduction process. A brief discussion of the enantioselectivity of a set of single-point mutants of Sporobolomyces salmonicoloraldehyde reductase in this bioreduction is also presented.

Microbial hydroxylation of (Z)-2-benzylidene-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3-one

Abstract Microbial hydroxylation of ( Z )-2-benzylidene-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3-one 1 by various species of fungi and actinomycetes occurred regio- and stereoselectively at the 5 position of the quinuclidinone moiety. Most of the organisms produced α-(5 S )-( Z )-2-benzylidene-5-hydroxy-1-azabicyclo[2.2.2]octan-3-one 2 as the major product with enantiomeric excesses ranging from 30% to 84%. The (5β)-hydroxy epimer 3 and the (5α,7α)-dihydroxy derivative 4 were also produced by whole cell biotransformations of 1 .