Highly Enantio- and Diastereoselective Reduction of 2-Methyl-3-oxoalkanoic Acids by Use of Fermenting Bakers’ Yeast

Reduction of 2-methyl-3-oxoalkanoic acids, RC(=O)CH(CH3)CO2H (R = n-C4H9 – n-C8H17), gave the corresponding (2R,3R)-anti-3-hydroxy-2-methylalkanoic acids by use of bakers’ yeast with >98% ee and >98% de.