Claims
- 1. A process for preparing a chiral bisaryl alcohol compound of formula I, ##STR7## wherein R is optionally positioned ortho or para on the phenyl ring and is selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) hydrogen,
- (ii) --NH.sub.2,
- (iii) --NH--C(O)--NH--CH.sub.3, and
- (iv) --SO.sub.2 --NH.sub.2,
- comprising the steps of:
- (a) cultivating fungi in a culture media capable of sustaining the microorganism, which microorganism is capable of bioconversion of bisaryl ketone to bisaryl alcohol by reduction;
- (b) adding to the culture media an amount of a bisaryl ketone having structural formula II, ##STR8## wherein R is optionally positioned ortho or para on the phenyl ring and is selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) hydrogen,
- (ii) --NH.sub.2,
- (iii) --NH--C(O)--NH--CH.sub.3, and
- (iv) --SO.sub.2 --NH.sub.2 ; and
- (c) recovery of the bisaryl alcohol from the culture media.
- 2. A process for preparing a chiral bisaryl alcohol compound of formula I, ##STR9## wherein R is optionally positioned ortho or para on the phenyl ring and is selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) hydrogen,
- (ii) --NH.sub.2,
- (iii) --NH--C(O)--NH--CH.sub.3, and
- (iv) --SO.sub.2 --NH.sub.2,
- comprising the steps of:
- (a) cultivating Rhodoturulla pilimanae (ATCC 32762) in a culture media capable of sustaining the microorganism, which microorganism is capable of bioconversion of bisaryl ketone to bisaryl alcohol by reduction;
- (b) adding to the culture media an amount of a bisaryl ketone having structural formula II, ##STR10## wherein R is optionally positioned ortho or para on the phenyl ring and is selected from the group consisting of:
- (i) hydrogen,
- (ii) --NH.sub.2,
- (iii) --NH--C(O)--NH--CH.sub.3, and
- (iv) --SO.sub.2 --NH.sub.2 ; and
- (c) recovering bisaryl alcohol from the culture media by isolation and purification wherein the optical purity of the bisaryl alcohol is greater than 90% ee.
- 3. The process according to claim 2 wherein the recovered bisaryl alcohol has an optical purity in the range greater than 92% ee.
- 4. The process according to claim 2 wherein the optical purity is greater than 96% ee.
- 5. The process according to claim 2 whereby the bisaryl alcohol product is recovered by a method selected from reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, solvent extraction or crystalization.
Parent Case Info
This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional application No. 60/026,249 filed Sep. 17, 1996.
US Referenced Citations (10)