Oxidation-hydroxymethylation-reduction: a one-pot three-step biocatalytic synthesis of optically active α-aryl vicinal diols

A one-pot multi-step approach comprising enzymatic oxidation-hydroxymethylation-reduction enables the synthesis of optically active alpha-aryl vicinal diols with high yields and enantioselectivities. Formaldehyde required for the hydroxymethylation step is enzymatically produced in situ using less hazardous methanol as substrate.