@Copyright 1992 by The Humana Press Inc. All rights of any nature whatsoever reserved. 0273-2289192/32(1/3)--0055503.60 Asymmetric Synthesis of Organometallic Reagents Using Enzymatic Methods D. E. BERGBREITER* AND M. MOMONGAN Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843.2011 Received September 30, 1991; Accepted October 25, 1991 ABSTRACT The use of enzymatic catalysis in the synthesis and resolution of organometallic complexes is reviewed and discussed. Examples show the potential of biological catalysts for oxidation, reduction, hydroly- sis, and esterification of both transition metal and main group organo- metallic substrates. Chirality in organometallic complexes caused by the presence of chiral carbon centers in substituent groups, tetrahedral or pseudotetrahedral metal centers, and planes of asymmetry can all be recognized by whole cell or isolated enzyme catalysts. Biocatalysts that achieve high levels of kinetic resolution are described. Other cata- lysts that produce high levels of asymmetric induction in reactions of a prochiral substrate are also described. Index Entries: Catalysis; enzymatic lipase dehydrogenase; enzyme resolution; organometallic synthesis resolution. INTRODUCTION Chiral organometallic compounds are widely useful in asymmetric catalysis and in asymmetric organic synthesis. These compounds often act either as homogeneous catalysts, electrophilic synthons, or nucleo- philic synthons in the synthesis of chiral nonracemic organic molecules (1,2). Often, the enantiomeric or diastereomeric purity of the product obtained in these syntheses can reach 100%. In the case of homogeneous *Author to whom all correspondence and reprint requests should be addressed. Applied Biochernistry and Biotechnology 5~ Vol. 32, 1992