Integrated Heterogeneous Metal/Enzymatic Multiple Relay Catalysis for Eco-Friendly and Asymmetric Synthesis

Organic synthesis is in general performed using stepwise transformations where isolation and purification of key intermediates is often required prior to further reactions. Herein we disclose the concept of integrated heterogeneous metal/enzymatic multiple relay catalysis for eco-friendly and asymmetric synthesis of valuable molecules (e.g., amines and amides) in one-pot using a combination of heterogeneous metal and enzyme catalysts. Here reagents, catalysts, and different conditions can be introduced throughout the one-pot procedure involving multistep catalytic tandem operations. Several novel cocatalytic relay sequences (reductive amination/amidation, aerobic oxidation/reductive amination/amidation, reductive amination/kinetic resolution and reductive amination/dynamic kinetic resolution) were developed. They were next applied to the direct synthesis of various biologically and optically active amines or amides in one-pot from simple aldehydes, ketones, or alcohols, respectively.