Enantio‐ and Diastereoselective Chemoenzymatic Synthesis of C2‐Symmetric Biaryl‐Containing Diols

An enantio‐ and diastereoselective synthesis of C2‐symmetric diols bearing a biphenyl‐framework has been developed by means of an enzymatic reduction of the corresponding diketones, which were prepared by a Suzuki coupling reaction. Furthermore, a chemoenzymatic one‐pot synthesis of a C2‐symmetric diol in aqueous media has been realized through combination of the Suzuki coupling reaction and enzymatic reduction. Chiral stereoisomers of the biaryl‐containing diols are prepared with diastereomeric ratios in excess of 25:1 and enantiomeric excesses of greater than 99 %.