Enantioselective reductions of p-R1-C6H4C(O)CH2R2 (R1 = Cl, Br, CH3, OCH3, NO2 and R2 = Br, Cl) mediated by Geotrichum candidum CCT 1205 and Rhodotorula glutinis CCT 2182 afforded the corresponding halohydrins with complementary R and S configurations, respectively, in excellent yield and enantiomeric excesses. The obtained (R)- or (S)-halohydrins are important building blocks in chemical and pharmaceutical industries.

In the title compound, C14H13ClO5, the five-membered ring is in an envelope conformation with the methyl­ene C-atom being the flap. The conformation about the C=C double bond [1.341 (2) Å] is E. The chloro­propan-2-one residue is approximately orthogonal to the remaining mol­ecule [dihedral angle = 88.03 (6)°]. In the crystal, the mol­ecules associate via C—H⋯O inter­actions, involving both carbonyl-O atoms, giving rise to an undulating two-dimensional array in the ac plane.

The title mol­ecule, C12H12N2O6, features an E conformation about the oxime group. The methoxy­imino and ester residues are effectively coplanar with each other (r.m.s. deviation for the nine non-H atoms = 0.127 Å) and almost orthogonal [with dihedral angles of 99.44 (13) and −77.85 (13)°, respectively] to the carbonyl and nitro­phenyl groups which lie to either side of this central plane. The crystal structure is consolidated by C—H⋯O contacts.

The title mol­ecule, C11H10N2O6, has a Z conformation about the C=N bond of the oxime unit. There are significant twists from planarity throughout the mol­ecule, the most significant being between the hydroxy­imino and ester groups which are effectively orthogonal with an N—C—C—Ocarbon­yl torsion angle of 91.4 (2)°. The crystal packing features oxime–benzoyl O—H⋯O contacts that lead to chains along [010] and C—H⋯O interactions also occur.