Baker's Yeast Reduction of beta-Hydroxy Ketones

Reduction of beta-hydroxy ketones to the corresponding 1,3-diols by baker's yeast was investigated, in order to develop methods for simultaneous control over the configurations of multiple stereogenic centres, The reactions were found to be enantiospecific and generally characterised by good dia-stereoselectivity Substrates with a substituent at the carbon atom in the alpha position were also considered. When the substituent at the alpha-carbon atom was part of a ring, higher selectivity was observed.