Recent Advances in Biocatalytic Preparation of Chiral Sulfoxides

Chiral sulfoxides are essential in fields of pharmaceutical industry and asymmetric synthesis, requiring high enantioselectivity for their diverse applications. Biocatalytic methods, utilizing oxidases (e.g., BVMO, P450MO) and reductases (e.g., Msr, DMSO reductase), have proven to be efficient and sustainable alternatives to chemical synthesis. This review highlights progress made over the past decade in enzymatic approaches, including asymmetric oxidation, kinetic resolution, and cascade catalysis, with contributions from enzyme engineering to enhance activity, selectivity, and substrate scope, underscoring the potential of biocatalysis as a green and practical solution for producing enantiopure sulfoxides.