Patents based on biocatalytic methods for the synthesis of valuable chiral compounds

Abstract

Chiral compounds and precursors are fundamental in developing pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, flavors, and fragrances. Obtaining chiral compounds can be done by chemical catalysis or enzymatic catalysis. Chemical methods generally require the use of harsh conditions, involving many reaction steps and generating many toxic byproducts. These drawbacks can be overcome by applying biocatalysis, which allows the preparation of compounds with high optical purity and high yields under mild and sustainable conditions. The attractive characteristics of applying biological catalysts have triggered the development of numerous technological innovations that have resulted in patents. This chapter aims to analyze some recent efforts made in this field, focusing both on the development of chiral compounds using biocatalysts and on the analysis of patents reporting the generation of novel biocatalysts that increase the activity and/or the selectivity of the reactions to obtain chiral compounds.