Novel biocatalytic reduction of aryl azides: chemoenzymatic synthesis of pyrrolo[2,1-c][1,4]benzodiazepine antibiotics1

Abstract

The chemoselective reduction of aryl azides to aryl amines, and the synthesis of the imine-containing pyrrolo[2,1-c]- [1,4]benzodiazepine DNA-binding antitumour antibiotics by selective biocatalytic reductive cyclization of azido aldehydes, has been achieved by employing baker’s yeast.