Biocatalytically\nGenerated Library of Chiral Building\nBlocks Containing a Quaternary Stereocenter

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