LAUSR

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) catalyzed asymmetric sulfoxidation represents a green route for the synthesis of valuable enantiopure sulfoxides, which are potentially interesting synthons in synthetic and pharmaceutical chemistry. Here the potential P450 and redox partner genes from Parvibaculum lavamentivorans DS‐1 are screened and co‐expressed in Escherichia coli host to construct twenty recombinant P450 strains. By testing the whole‐cell biooxidation of thioanisole, P450PL2 (CYP278A4) and P450PL7 (CYP108G3) are identified with excellent S enantioselectivity while P450PL1 (CYP111B1) and P450PL9 (CYP153A26) exhibit the complementary R enantioselectivity. Asymmetric sulfoxidation of sulfides 1 a–1 m is further investigated using the recombinant E. coli strain P450PL2‐2 based on the optimal conditions, producing the corresponding enantioenriched sulfoxides with up to 82 % isolated yield and 99 % ee.