Asymmetric reductive acylation of aromatic ketoximes by enzyme-metal cocatalysis

We have developed an efficient procedure for the asymmetric synthesis of chiral amides from ketoximes. This one-pot procedure employs two different types of catalysts, Pd nanocatalyst and lipase, for three consecutive transformations including hydrogenation, racemization, and acylation. Eight ketoximes have been efficiently transformed to the corresponding amides in good yields (83-92%) and high enantiomeric excesses (93-98%).