Multi-step cascade reactions have gained increasing attention in the biocatalysis field in recent years. In particular, multi-enzymatic cascades can achieve high molecular complexity without workup of reaction intermediates thanks to the enzymes’ intrinsic selectivity; and where enzymes fall short, organo-or metal catalysts can further expand the range of possible synthetic routes. Here, we present two enantiocomplementary (chemo)-enzymatic cascades composed of either a styrene monooxygenase (StyAB) or the Shi epoxidation catalyst for enantioselective alkene epoxidation in the first step, coupled with a halohydrin dehalogenase (HHDH)-catalysed regioselective epoxide ring opening in the second step for the synthesis of chiral aliphatic non-terminal azidoalcohols. Through the controlled formation of two new stereocenters, corresponding azidoalcohol products could be obtained with high regioselectivity and excellent enantioselectivity (99% ee) in the StyAB-HHDH cascade, while product enantiomeric excesses in the Shi-HHDH cascade ranged between 56 and 61%.

In this study, we combined photo-organo redox catalysis and biocatalysis to achieve asymmetric C–H bond functionalization of simple alkane starting materials. The photo-organo catalyst anthraquinone sulfate (SAS) was employed to oxyfunctionalise alkanes to aldehydes and ketones. We coupled this light-driven reaction with asymmetric enzymatic functionalisations to yield chiral hydroxynitriles, amines, acyloins and α-chiral ketones with up to 99 % ee. In addition, we demonstrate functional group interconversion to alcohols, esters and carboxylic acids. The transformations can be performed as concurrent tandem reactions. We identified the degradation of substrates and inhibition of the biocatalysts as limiting factors affecting compatibility, due to reactive oxygen species generated in the photocatalytic step. These incompatibilities were addressed by reaction engineering, such as applying a two-phase system or temporal and spatial separation of the catalysts. Using a selection of eleven starting alkanes, one photo-organo catalyst and 8 diverse biocatalysts, we synthesized 26 products and report for the model compounds benzoin and mandelonitrile > 97 % ee at gram scale.