Thirty one recombinant ketoreductase enzymes were screened for the reduction of six α- chloroketones, the precursors of pharmaceutically valuable α-chloroalcohols. Several highly active and enantioselective ketoreductases were found and their applications to the synthesis of both enantiomers of these α-chloroalcohols were demonstrated on a preparative scale. This offers a convenient,'green'access to this type of important ...