A chemo-enzymatic route to diastereoisomers of 2-methyl-1-phenyl-1,3-butanediol: the dual role of microorganisms

Diastereoisomers (1S,2R,3S)-, (1R,2R,3S)-, (1R,2S,3S)- and (1S,2S,3S)-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1,3-butanediols were prepared by simple and convenient strategies using two different chemo-enzymatic approaches for the reduction of racemic 2-methyl-1-phenyl-1,3-butanedione, both involving in situ racemization. The first method comprised a one-pot microbial reduction coupled with a chemical reduction, while in the second method, stepwise chemo-enzymatic reductions were performed.