A series of chiral α-substituted cyclohexanones have been synthesized from chemoenzymatically produced chlorocyclohexadienediol. These highly functionalized ketones can be used in the total synthesis of diverse natural products, such as bengamides. A study of the reactivity of α-chlorooxiranes, common intermediates in the synthetic scheme, showed that under nucleophilic opening conditions an intermediate chloroketone may or ...
