Enantioselective Enzymatic Reduction of Acrylic Acids.

An ene-reductase (ERED 36) with broad substrate specificity was identified, and optimization studies led to the development of an enzymatic protocol for the reduction of α,β-unsaturated acids under mild, aqueous conditions. The substrate scope includes aromatic- and aliphatic-substituted acrylic acids, as well as cyclic α,β-substituted acrylic acids, yielding chiral α-substituted acids with exquisite levels of enantioselectivity (>99% ee).