Benzaldehyde lyase-catalyzed enantioselective C–C bond formation and cleavage: A review

Benzaldehyde lyase (BAL) is an enzyme which was originally found from Pseudomonas fluorescens biovar I. It has long been used in the formation of a C–C bond. BAL can exclusively yield (R)-enantioselective products from the synthesis of α-hydroxy ketones and has so far been explored as an important enzyme to prepare the corresponding intermediate of pharmaceuticals. Due to its substrate spectrum and stereospecificity, this enzyme extends the synthetic potential for carboligations appreciably. In this review, we highlight the biotransformation applications of BAL in recent years, some of which have achieved intriguing results and provided the theoretical basis for drug development and industrial purpose in the future.