Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 can also deracemise 1-arylethanols

Candida parapsilosis ATCC 7330 grown using different culture conditions (inoculum size 4% (v/v), inoculum age 12 h, and harvest time 14 h) from those previously reported (inoculum size 2% (v/v), inoculum age 24 h, and harvest time 44 h) successfully deracemised racemic 1-arylethanols and 4-phenyl-2-butanol to the (R)-enantiomer (ee up to >99%). The deracemisation of racemic 1-aryl ethanol proceeds via (i) enantioselective oxidation of (S)-enantiomer followed by (ii) reduction of the ketone formed to give the racemic alcohol which gets kinetically resolved thus enriching for the (R)-enantiomer from the racemate. This is the first report on the deracemisation of 1-arylethanols using Candida parapsilosis ATTC 7330 via dynamic kinetic resolution. © 2011 Informa UK, Ltd.