Mixing chemo- and biocatalysis for rare monosaccharide production by combining aldolase and N-heterocyclic carbene gold catalysts

Chemo- and biocatalysis for multistep reactions were successfully combined to synthesize polyhydroxylated monosaccharides. Gold N-heterocyclic carbene, catalysing green hydration, was coupled to an aldolase to create two stereocenters via C–C bond formation in stereoselective and total atom economy fashions starting from simple and achiral compounds.