Biocatalytic Oxidation Reactions: A Chemist's Perspective

Oxidation chemistry using enzymes is approaching maturity and practical applicability in organic synthesis. Oxidoreductases (enzymes catalysing redox reactions) enable chemists to perform highly selective and efficient transformations ranging from simple alcohol oxidations to stereoselective halogenations of non‐activated C−H bonds. For many of...

Biocatalytic synthesis of lactones and lactams

Cyclic esters and amides (lactones and lactams) are important active ingredients and polymer building blocks. In recent years, numerous biocatalytic methods for their preparation have been developed including enzymatic and chemoenzymatic Baeyer–Villiger oxidations, oxidative lactonisation of diols, and reductive lactonisation and...

Peroxygenases en route to becoming dream catalysts. What are the opportunities and challenges?

Peroxygenases are promising catalysts for preparative oxyfunctionalization chemistry as they combine the versatility of P450 monooxygenases with simplicity of cofactor-independent enzymes. Though many interesting applications have been reported, today ‘we have only scratched the surface’ and significant efforts are necessary to solve issues...

Engineering a lipase B from Candida antactica with efficient perhydrolysis performance by eliminating its hydrolase activity

A Ser105Ala mutant of the lipase B from Candida antarctica enables 'perhydrolase-only' reactions. At the example of the chemoenzymatic Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cyclohexanone, we demonstrate that with this mutant selective oxidation can be achieved in deep eutectic solvent while essentially eliminating the undesired hydrolysis reaction of...

Deep Eutectic Solvents Enable More Robust Chemoenzymatic Epoxidation Reactions

A chemoenzymatic method for the production of epoxidized vegetable oils was developed. The unique combination of the commercial lipase G from Penicillieum camembertii with certain deep eutectic solvents enabled the efficient production of epoxidized vegetable oils.

Chemoenzymatic epoxidation of alkenes with Candida antarctica lipase B and hydrogen peroxide in deep eutectic solvents

Epoxides are important synthetic intermediates for the synthesis of a broad range of industrial products. This study presents a promising solution to the current limitation of enzyme instability. By using simple deep eutectic solvents such as choline chloride/sorbitol, significant stabilization of the biocatalyst has been achieved leading to...

Deep eutectic solvents as performance additives in biphasic reactions

Deep eutectic solvents act as surfactants in biphasic (hydrophobic/aqueous) reaction mixtures enabling higher interfacial surface areas at lower mechanical stress as compared to simple emulsions. Exploiting this effect the rate of a chemoenzymatic epoxidation reaction was increased more than six-fold.