Biocatalytically Generated Library of Chiral Building Blocks Containing a Quaternary Stereocenter

A biocatalytic strategy for the preparation of a small library of compounds containing a quaternary chiral center is described. By applying halohydrin dehalogenases, four racemic 2,2-disubstituted epoxides were converted in the presence of four nucleophiles to 14 chiral products in yields of 21-47% with 74 to >99% <i>ee</i>. The obtained set of building blocks, which hold diverse functional groups, can be modified to form many high-value organic molecules for use in medicinal chemistry and other areas.