A Highly Efficient and Sustainable Biocatalytic Oxidation Process toward (R)-Undecavertol

A biotransformation to produce (R)-Undecavertol has been developed and demonstrated on the pilot scale. The process is a racemic resolution using a highly (S)-selective alcohol dehydrogenase in the oxidative direction and an NAD(P)H oxidase for cofactor regeneration. Oxygen limitation is prevented by supplying pure oxygen, achieving a >400 g L–1 substrate concentration and a space-time yield of 14 g L–1 h–1 on the pilot scale and even up to 680 g L–1 and a space-time yield of 21 g L–1 h–1 on the lab scale. In three pilot-plant batches, more than 85 kg of (R)-Undecavertol was produced biocatalytically.