Arene <i>cisi>-Diol Dehydrogenase-Catalysed Regio- and Stereoselective Oxidation of Arene-, Cycloalkane- and Cycloalkene-<i>cisi>-diols to Yield Catechols and Chiral α-Ketols

Benzene cis-diol dehydrogenase and naphthalene cis-diol dehydrogenase enzymes, expressed in Pseudomonas putida wild-type and Escherichia coli recombinant strains, were used to investigate regioselectivity and stereoselectivity during dehydrogenations of arene, cyclic alkane and cyclic alkene vicinal cis-diols. The dehydrogenase-catalysed production of enantiopure cis-diols, α-ketols and catechols, using benzene cis-diol dehydrogenase and naphthalene cis-diol dehydrogenase, involved both kinetic resolution and asymmetric synthesis methods. The chemoenzymatic production and applications of catechol bioproducts in synthesis were investigated.