Use of Pseudomonas mendocina, or recombinant Escherichia coli cells expressing toluene-4-monooxygenase, and a cell-free tyrosinase for the synthesis of 4-fluorocatechol from fluorobenzene.

The transformation of fluorobenzene (FB) by whole cell expressing toluene-4-monooxygenase (T4MO) resulted in the formation of various hydroxylated products. The predominant product was either 4-fluorophenol (4FP) or 4-fluorocatechol (4Fcat) depending on the ratio of biocatalyst to substrate concentration. The transformation of 1 mM FB by whole cells (1.5 mg CDW/ml) gave a 52% yield of 4Fcat as a single product. The yield of 4Fcat was improved 1.6-fold (80%) by adding 10 mM ascorbic acid to the biotransformations. A combination of two biocatalysts (whole cells expressing T4MO and cell free mushroom tyrosinase) also resulted in the transformation of FB (5 mM) to higher concentrations of 4Fcat (1.8 mM) compared to a whole cell biotransformation alone. However, mixed products were formed and the yield of 4Fcat from FB was lower using the two-step (tandem) method (27%) compared to the use of whole cells of P. mendocina KR1 alone (80%).