Evidence for an anomalous microbial oxidation of acetophenone: new access to optically active tricarbonyliron complexes

Abstract

Oxidation of acetophenone by Pseudomonas putida afforded an unusual monohydroxy product, identified by conversion into the corresponding tricarbonyliron complex, and shown by circular dichroism (CD) investigations and chemical correlations to arise by addition of OH to the same enantioface of the arene ring as that susceptible to reaction in the normal dioxygenation pathway.