Chiral a -hydroxy ketones are important structural units in many natural products, biologically active compounds and the hydroxyl group has frequently been used as a reagent directing group, such as for the selective elaboration of aldol products. In this work, enzymatic synthesis of both enantiomers of the a -hydroxy ketones (2-hydroxy indanone, 2-hydroxy tetralone) using Aspergillus niger by selective &amp / #945 / -oxidation of ketones (1-indanone, 1-tetralone) was studied. The &amp / #945 / -oxidation of ketones was carried out by using whole cells of Aspergillus niger in different growth media. A. niger whole cell catalyzed reactions afforded (S)-configurated 2- hydroxy-1-tetralone with %87 e.e. in DMSO at pH 5.0. In addition to this,while (S)-configurated 2-hydroxy-1-indanone with %33 e.e. in pH 8.0 (in DMSO) was synthesized, (R)-configurated-2-hyroxy-1-indanone with %32 e.e. in pH 7.0 ( in DMSO) was synthesized.

Optically active &amp / #945 / -hydroxy ketones are important subunits of many biologically active compounds and indispensable synthons for asymmetric synthesis. Benzaldehyde Lyase from Pseudomonas fluorescens Biovar I is a novel ThDP-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the synthesis of benzoin type chiral &amp / #945 / -hydroxy ketones starting from both benzaldehyde and racemic benzoin derivatives. Benzaldehyde Lyase is the first example of enzymes in the literature which leads to a chemical resolution of enantiomers of benzoin derivatives through a C-C bond cleavage reaction. Chiral 2-hydroxypropiophenone derivatives are formed by benzaldehyde lyase (BAL), catalyzing C-C bond formation after a selective C-C bond cleavage of a benzoin derivative accepted as a substrate. The enzyme uses only the (R)-benzoin derivatives as substrate for the formation of (R)-HPP derivatives and it is highly stereoselective. Thus, in the presence of the acetaldehyde as the acceptor aldehyde, the C-C bond cleavage of the benzoin molecule followed by the carboligation of the acetaldehyde to yield chiral 2-hydroxy propiophenone derivatives. Given the racemic benzoin to the enzyme as the substrate in the presence of acetaldehyde, both the racemic resolution of the substrate, revealing the unreacted (S)-Benzoin and the formation of the corresponding R-HPP occur.

&amp / #945 / -Hydroxy phosphonates are versatile building blocks for the synthesis of many biologically active compounds that display antiviral, antibacterial, anticancer, pesticide activities beside their enzyme inhibitory activities such as they are the inhibitors of rennin or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) protease and polymerase. Benzaldehyde lyase is able to catalyze not only C-C bond formation reactions but also C-C bond breaking reactions with high enantioselectivity that brings about the development of new synthetic methodologies for the synthesis of hydroxy ketones which are the key intermediates in the synthesis of many biologically active compounds due to the versatility of stereogenic center for developing structural diversity. There are several synthetic methodologies for the synthesis of hydroxy phoshonates however, in this work we have achieved the synthesis of hydroxy phoshonates through C-C bond forming reactions catalyzed by Benzaldehyde lyase that offers the use of green methodologies. Moreover, we have achieved the synthesis of hydroxy ketones which are versatile building blocks in the synthesis of many biologically active compounds via the immobilization of BAL enzyme on superparamagnetic solid support with high yield and high enantioselectivity.