Application of Amino Transaminases in a Disperse System for the Biotransformation of Hydrophobic Substrates

The challenging bioamination of hydrophobic substrates has been attained through the employment of a disperse system consisting in a combination of a low polarity solvent (e.g. isooctane or MTBE), a non-ionic surfactant and a minimal amount of water. In these conditions, good conversions are achieved, often coupled with a superior stereoselectivity if compared with the corresponding chemical reductive amination. An array of synthetically useful 4-substituted aminocyclohexanes was consequentially synthesized and stereochemically characterized.