Biocatalytic hydrogen-borrowing cascades

The exquisite chemoselectivity and the intrinsic compatibility of enzymes have been widely exploited during the past decade for the development of multi-step biocatalytic reactions in one-pot. In this context, hydrogen-borrowing cascades permit to maximise the atom-efficiency through the internal recycling of redox equivalents, which avoids the use of additional oxidants or reductants. Here, we describe the state-of-the-art in the field of biocatalytic hydrogenborrowing cascades and provide a future perspective for a wider implementation in organic synthesis.