Imine Reductase-Catalyzed Asymmetric Synthesis of Pharmaceutically Relevant Amino-Indanes

Chiral amino-indanes are valuable pharmaceutical intermediates, yet their efficient asymmetric synthesis remains challenging. In this study, enzymatic reduction of imines using enantiocomplementary IREDs enabled the synthesis of chiral amino-indanes. Furthermore, a one-pot, two-step cascade reaction combining trimethyl borate-promoted imine formation with IRED-catalyzed imine reduction was established to produce chiral amino-indanes with 87-99% ee values via a continuous fed-batch strategy, providing environmentally friendly and economical access to these pharmaceutically relevant compounds.