Kinetic resolution of racemic benzofused alcohols catalysed by HMFO variants in presence of natural deep eutectic solvents

Abstract 5-Hydroxymethylfurfural oxidase (HMFO) has demonstrated to be a useful biocatalyst for the selective oxidation of alcohols employing oxygen as mild oxidant with no requirement of expensive organic cofactors. This wild-type HMFO biocatalyst and an engineered thermostable variant have been tested in the kinetic resolution of different benzofused alcohols. The use of natural deep eutectic solvents was also explored in HMFO-catalysed oxidation of alcohols. The oxidation of racemic 1-indanol showed a higher conversion and selectivity in presence of 60% v/v of different NADES, especially for those containing carbohydrates. By choosing properly the biocatalyst and the NADES, good enantioselectivity values can be obtained, demonstrating the advantages of employing these neoteric solvents in biocatalysed processes.