Enantioselective Reduction of 2-Methyl-3-oxopropionate by Bakers’ Yeast

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Various esters of 2-methyl-3-oxopropionic acid were subjected to the reduction with bakers’ yeast. Effects of size and bulkiness as well as hydrophobicity of alcohol moieties of the substrates on the enantioselectivity of the reduction were investigated. The substrates having bulky ester groups gave the (R)-hydroxy esters with high enantioselectivities. A mechanism to alter the stereoselectivity of the reduction is proposed.