Deracemization of Sulfoxides Combining Electrocatalysis and Biocatalysis

Abstract

The concurrent implementation of cascade reactions that combine biocatalysis and chemocatalysis is a challenging undertaking. Electrocatalysis provides versatile catalytic abilities and allows for mild reaction conditions, offering the potential for designing concurrent chemoenzymatic cascade reactions. The research on bioelectrocatalysis has primarily concentrated on utilizing electrocatalysis to achieve cofactor regeneration of enzymes. In contrast with previous reports, herein, we developed a deracemization strategy involving the concurrent combination of biocatalytic reduction and anodic oxidation in an undivided cell to achieve chiral sulfoxides, demonstrating the good compatibility. We anticipate this study will offer an alternative pathway for the design of the cascade reaction combined with electrocatalysis and biocatalysis.