Enantiomerically pure 3-aryl- and 3-hetaryl-2-hydroxypropanoic acids by chemoenzymatic reduction of 2-oxo acids.

Phenyllactic acids are found in numerous natural products as well as in active substances used in medicine or plant protection. Enantiomerically pure phenyllactic acids are available by transition-metal-catalyzed hydrogenations or chemoenzymatic reductions of the corresponding 3-aryl-2-oxopropanoic acids. We show here that d-lactate dehydrogenase from Staphylococcus epidermidis reduces a broad spectrum of 2-oxo acids, which are difficult substrates for transition-metal-catalyzed reactions, with excellent enantioselectivities in a simple experimental setup.