Highly Enantioselective and Regioselective Biocatalytic Azidolysis of Aromatic Epoxides

Abstract

[figure: see text] The halohydrin dehalogenase from Agrobacterium radiobacter AD1 catalyzed the highly enantioselective and beta-regioselective azidolysis of (substituted) styrene oxides. By means of kinetic resolutions the remaining epoxide and the formed azido alcohol could be obtained in very high ee. In a large scale conversion, the decrease in yield and selectivity due to the uncatalyzed chemical side reaction could be overcome by slow addition of azide.