Homochiral fluoro-organic compounds. Microbial reduction of 1-fluoro-3-(p-tolylsulphonyl)propan-2-one and of 1-fluoro-3-(p-tolylsulphenyl)propan-2-one

Abstract

The reduction of 1-fluoro-3-(p-tolylsulphonyl)propan-2-one (3) and of the corresponding sulphenyl derivative (5) with Baker's yeast and with growing cultures of several micro-organisms has been studied. The production of (S)-1-fluoro-3-(p-tolylsulphonyl)propan-2-ol (4) and of (S)-1-fluoro-3(p-tolylsulphenyl)propan-2-ol (6) in high enantiomeric purity has been achieved.