Design
and
development
of
novel
one-step
reactions
that
produce
nitrogen-containing
scaffolds
is
an
invaluable
area
chemistry
due
to
the
abundance
these
moieties
in
natural
products
biologically
active
molecules.
Discovering
methods
using
uncommon
substrates
rare
earth
metals
access
significant
present
a
challenge.
Over
course
my
doctoral
studies,
I
have
designed,
developed
optimized
by
rarely
known
afforded
important
scaffolds.
The
obtained
allow
otherwise
long-to-synthesize
molecules
expeditious
construction
ACS Catalysis,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
12(17), P. 10742 - 10763
Published: Aug. 17, 2022
The
Friedel–Crafts
(F–C)
reaction
has
been
a
fundamental
pillar
of
both
academic
and
industrial
synthetic
organic
chemistry
since
its
discovery
in
1873.
Its
success
is
based
on
the
versatility
applicability
F–C
reactions
for
wide
range
substrates,
there
have
an
impressive
number
publications
patents
describing
catalytic
methods.
asymmetric
version
was
discovered
about
100
years
after
seminal
work
by
Friedel
Crafts
become
major
area
research.
While
chemical
methods
with
much-improved
efficacies
scopes
discovered,
still
suffer
from
limitations.
Biocatalysis
potential
to
be
best
solution
this
challenge
because
excellent
selectivity
(enantio-,
chemo-,
regioselectivity)
displayed
enzymes.
In
last
two
decades,
advancements
molecular
biology
techniques,
bioinformatics,
high-throughput
screening,
directed
evolution,
process
scale-up
led
biocatalysis
becoming
mature
field.
It
therefore
not
surprising
that
researchers
around
globe
developed
several
biocatalysts
reactions.
Herein,
we
review
recent
developments
design
use
stereoselective
strategies
performing
ChemCatChem,
Journal Year:
2022,
Volume and Issue:
14(18)
Published: July 11, 2022
Abstract
Friedel‐Crafts
alkylation
and
acylation
reactions
are
important
methodologies
in
synthetic
industrial
chemistry
for
the
construction
of
aryl‐alkyl
aryl‐acyl
linkages
that
ubiquitous
bioactive
molecules.
Nature
also
exploits
these
many
biosynthetic
processes.
Much
work
has
been
done
to
expand
application
enzymes
unnatural
substrates
through
directed
evolution.
The
promise
such
biocatalysts
is
their
potential
supersede
inefficient
toxic
chemical
approaches
reactions,
with
mild
operating
conditions
‐
hallmark
enzymes.
Complementary
created
bio‐hybrid
catalysts
consisting
anchored
into
biomolecular
scaffolds,
which
display
same
desirable
characteristics.
In
this
Review,
we
summarise
efforts,
focussing
on
both
mechanistic
aspects
considerations,
concluding
an
overview
frontiers
field
routes
towards
more
efficient
benign
future
humankind.
ACS Catalysis,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
13(3), P. 1946 - 1951
Published: Jan. 19, 2023
Squalene-hopene
cyclases
(SHCs)
are
the
biocatalytic
pendant
to
asymmetric
Brønsted-acid
catalysis
and
thus
comprise
enormous
synthetic
potential.
Nevertheless,
their
substrate
scope
is
currently
limited
terpenes.
Herein,
we
present
how
tailor
SHC's
cation
cage
for
an
enantioselective
semipinacol
rearrangement
of
bicyclic
allylic
alcohols
produce
valuable
oxa-carbon
spirocyclic
compounds.
Exploiting
subtle
divergence
SHC
active
sites
combined
with
structure-guided
semirational
engineering,
designed
a
biocatalyst
high
catalytic
performance
∼4500
TTN
excellent
enantioselectivity
99.5%
enantiomeric
excess
(ee).
In
silico
studies
suggest
that
broadened
site
pivotal
catalysis.
This
intricate
cationic
easily
scalable,
employing
lyophilized
cell
powder
in
water.
Furthermore,
our
demonstrate
acceptance
diverse
ring-sized
substrates
but
also
reveal
naturally
confined
limits
function
as
general
"semipinacolase."
study
showcases
ability
harness
tap
into
broader
field
ACS Catalysis,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
13(7), P. 5073 - 5083
Published: March 29, 2023
Confinement
of
an
enzyme's
active
site
is
critical
to
the
efficiency
chemical
reactions
and
has
been
recognized
as
important
tool
for
catalysis
accelerate
by
proximity
via
specific
interactions
with
substrate
control
course
reaction.
Despite
these
benefits,
a
strongly
confined
inherently
limited
compounds
that
resemble
native
substrate,
only
small
deviations
tolerated.
To
unlock
potential
modifying
terpene
scaffold
building
blocks
interest
branched
isoprene/terpene
motifs,
present
study
demonstrates
simple
structure-guided
strategy
create
alternative
confinement
in
squalene–hopene
cyclase
from
Alicyclobacillus
acidocaldarius
(AacSHC).
This
aims
shape
complementarity
between
protein
enforce
preorganization
geranyl
acetone
analogs
deviant
isoprene
patterns.
Screening
AacSHC
variants
affecting
tunnel
allowed
us
detect
starting
activity
G600M
variant.
Structural
analysis
led
identification
reduced
radii
resulted
steric
decrease
average
distances
double
bond
substrate's
terminal
unit
catalytic
site.
Iterative
saturation
mutagenesis
SHC
screening
analog
dihydropseudoirone
were
used
generate
demonstrated
further
evolvability.
The
final
variant
showed
1174-fold
increase
total
turnover
number
111-fold
increased
compared
wild-type.
approach
great
overcome
limitations
engineering
biocatalysts
generation
interesting
blocks.
RSC Advances,
Journal Year:
2024,
Volume and Issue:
14(36), P. 25932 - 25974
Published: Jan. 1, 2024
Enzymatic
carbon-carbon
(C-C)
bond
formation
reactions
have
become
an
effective
and
invaluable
tool
for
designing
new
biological
medicinal
molecules,
often
with
asymmetric
features.
This
review
provides
a
systematic
overview
of
key
C-C
enzymes,
the
focus
reaction
mechanisms
recent
advances.
These
include
aldol
reaction,
Henry
Knoevenagel
condensation,
Michael
addition,
Friedel-Crafts
alkylation
acylation,
Mannich
Morita-Baylis-Hillman
(MBH)
Diels-Alder
acyloin
condensations
Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
21(27), P. 5527 - 5531
Published: Jan. 1, 2023
The
stereoselective
cyclization
of
geranylgeraniol
catalysed
by
squalene-hopene
cyclase
(SHC)
was
investigated.
By
use
this
transformation,
spongiane
diterpenoids
(+)-isoagatholactone
and
(+)-spongian-16-one,
meroterpenoid
3-deoxychavalone
A
were
synthesized
in
a
concise
redox-economic
manner.
This
work
showcases
the
application
SHC-catalysed
as
key
step
terpenoid
synthesis.
ACS Catalysis,
Journal Year:
2023,
Volume and Issue:
13(13), P. 8861 - 8889
Published: June 20, 2023
On
the
occasion
of
Professor
Bernhard
Hauer′s
(partial)
retirement,
we
reflect
on
and
highlight
his
distinguished
career
in
biocatalysis.
Bernhard,
a
biologist
by
training,
has
greatly
influenced
biocatalysis
with
vision
ideas
throughout
four-decade
career.
The
development
went
hand
evolution
application
enzymes
for
chemical
processes.
In
this
Account,
present
selected
examples
early
work
their
an
industrial
setting,
focus
specific
contributions
to
harnessing
catalytic
power
novel
reactions
understanding
engineering
flexible
loops
channels
catalysis.