Previous synthesis technologies proved to be unsatisfactory in ecological as well as in economical respect. Within this research and development plan project partners developed a new biocatalytic synthesis platform that opened the most efficient way to chiral α-diols and α-hydroxyketones so far. Unrivalled high selectivities and an unsurpassed environmental efficiency render the enzyme catalysed process prior to other methods.

High environmental efficiency
The process is very resource-efficient, since the starting materials are converted into the product with high atom economy. The omitted problem of separating undesired by-products reduces the amount of waste by up to 60 % and saves about 25 % of the energy needed. Furthermore production costs of (2S,5S)-hexanediol are reduced by about 80 %, a considerable economic advantage that is only possible due to the high ecological efficiency of this method.