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Optically pure sulfoxides are valuable organosulfur compounds extensively employed in medicinal and organic synthesis. In this study, we present a biocatalytic oxidation‐reduction cascade system designed for the preparation of enantiopure sulfoxides. The system involves the cooperation of a low‐enantioselective chimeric oxidase SMO (styrene monooxygenase) with a high‐enantioselective reductase MsrA (methionine sulfoxide reductase A), facilitating "non‐selective oxidation and selective reduction" cycles for prochiral sulfide oxidation. The regeneration of requisite cofactors for MsrA and SMO was achieved via a cascade catalysis process involving three auxiliary enzymes, sustained by cost‐effective D‐glucose. Under the optimal reaction conditions, a series of heteroaryl alkyl, aryl alkyl and dialkyl sulfoxides in R configuration were synthesized through this "one‐pot, one step" cascade reaction. The obtained compounds exhibited high yields of >90 % and demonstrated enantiomeric excess (ee) values exceeding 90 %. This study represents an unconventional and efficient biocatalytic way in utilizing the low‐enantioselective oxidase for the synthesis of enantiopure sulfoxides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optically pure sulfoxides are noteworthy compounds applied in a wide range of industrial fields; however, the biocatalytic deracemization of racemic sulfoxides is challenging. Herein, a high‐enantioselective methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) was combined with a low‐enantioselective styrene monooxygenase (SMO) for the cyclic deracemization of sulfoxides. Enantiopure sulfoxides were obtained in >90 % yield and with >90 % enantiomeric excess (ee) through dynamic "selective reduction and non‐selective oxidation" cycles. The cofactors of MsrA and SMO were subsequently regenerated by the cascade catalysis of three auxiliary enzymes through the consumption of low‐cost D‐glucose. Moreover, this "one‐pot, one‐step" cyclic deracemization strategy exhibited a wide substrate scope toward various aromatic, heteroaromatic, alkyl and thio‐alkyl sulfoxides. This system proposed an efficient strategy for the green synthesis of chiral sulfoxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optically pure sulfoxides are noteworthy compounds applied in a wide range of industrial fields; however, the biocatalytic deracemization of racemic sulfoxides is challenging. Herein, a high‐enantioselective methionine sulfoxide reductase A (MsrA) was combined with a low‐enantioselective styrene monooxygenase (SMO) for the cyclic deracemization of sulfoxides. Enantiopure sulfoxides were obtained in >90 % yield and with >90 % enantiomeric excess (ee) through dynamic "selective reduction and non‐selective oxidation" cycles. The cofactors of MsrA and SMO were subsequently regenerated by the cascade catalysis of three auxiliary enzymes through the consumption of low‐cost D‐glucose. Moreover, this "one‐pot, one‐step" cyclic deracemization strategy exhibited a wide substrate scope toward various aromatic, heteroaromatic, alkyl and thio‐alkyl sulfoxides. This system proposed an efficient strategy for the green synthesis of chiral sulfoxide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Here we report an environmentally friendly method for the preparation of chiral sulfoxides under high substrate concentration using recombinant methionine sulfoxide reductase A from Pseudomonas monteilii (pmMsrA) as a biocatalyst. Our results show that this enzyme can effectively accomplish the preparation of (R)‐sulfoxides with approximately 50 % yield and 94–99 % enantiomeric excess through asymmetric reductive resolution of racemic sulfoxide. With the establishment of the enzyme regeneration system, the initial substrate concentration could be increased 40–100 times compared to our original report. The (R)‐sulfoxides were obtained with high enantioselectivity under the substrate concentration up to 200 m m (approximately 32 g L−1), representing a quite high substrate concentration in biocatalytic preparation of chiral sulfoxides. Moreover, this system showed fairly good activity and enantioselectivity towards a series of ortho‐ and para‐substituted phenyl methyl sulfoxides under high substrate concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]