Combining the 'two worlds' of chemocatalysis and biocatalysis towards multi-step one-pot processes in aqueous media

The combination of biocatalytic and chemocatalytic reactions leading to one-pot processes in aqueous medium represents an economically and ecologically attractive concept in organic synthesis due to the potential to avoid time and capacity consuming and waste producing work-up steps of intermediates. The use of water as a solvent has many advantages. A key feature is the opportunity it provides as the solvent in nature to make use of the full range of enzymes. In recent years development of chemoenzymatic one-pot processes in water has emerged tremendously, and proof of concepts for the combination of biotransformations with metal catalysts and organocatalysts were demonstrated. This review will focus on major contributions in this field, which also underline the compatibility of these two 'worlds' of catalysis with each other as well as the industrial potential of this one-pot approach.