Heterogeneous Asymmetric Oxidation Catalysis Using Hemophore HasApf. Application in the Chemoenzymatic Deracemization of sec-Alcohols with Sodium Borohydride

This study aims to demonstrate the coordination of oxygen regarding the hemophore HasApf expressed by Escherichia coli cells, which appears to create an unlikely oxygen-activating system in HasA due to the already-coordinated iron. In the asymmetric oxidation of rac-1-(6-methoxynaphthalen-2-yl)ethanol (rac-1) using dissolved oxygen, the signals at g-values of 2.8, 2.22, and 1.72 in the electron spin resonance (ESR) spectra disappeared in conjunction with the promotion of oxoferric (FeIII ́O–O ́) species in the distal site. These results suggest that the iron of porphyrin/Fe may be oxidized in water, leading to exhibition of greater asymmetric oxidation activity in the promotion of oxoferryl (FeIV=O) species. A ketone (~50% chemical yield) produced from (R)-( ́)-sec-alcohol can be desymmetrized by NaBH4 in aqueous medium at 40 ̋C (>99% enantiomer excess, ee, >90% chemical yield) in the absence of NAD(P). Therefore, HasA can be regenerated via successive asymmetric catalytic events through an incorporated iron electron-transfer system in the presence of oxygen: FeII + O2 Ñ FeIII ́O–O ́ Ñ FeIV=O (oxidizing rac-1)Ñ FeII + H2O. This process is similar to a Fenton reaction. The use of a HasA-catalytic system with an incorporated redox cofactor for asymmetric oxidation overcomes the apparent difficulties in working with pure dehydrogenase enzyme/redox cofactor systems for biotransformations.