Abstract: A process for stereoselectively inverting a chiral center of a chemical compound is disclosed. The process first consists of forming a mixture of the chemical comopund, an enzymatic system, and a metal catalyst. Next, the process stereoselectively dehydrogenates a group attached to the chiral center with the enzymatic system in the presence of an oxidant to produce a dehydrogenated group, Lastly, the process hydrogenates the dehydrogenated group with the metal catalyst in the presence of a hydrogen source to stereoselectively invert the chiral center of the chemical compound.

Abstract: The present invention provides a catalyst system and a process for stereoselectively inverting a chiral center of a chemical compound. The catalyst system of the present invention comprises (i) a catalytic amount of a metal catalyst; (ii) an enzyme capable of oxidizing a chemical compound at a chiral center, or microorganism cells capable of producing an enzyme which is capable of oxidizing a chemical compound at a chiral center; (iii) an oxidant; and (iv) a hydrogen source. The process of the present invention comprises treating a chemical compound having a chiral center with the catalyst system of this invention.