2 publications

2 publications

Biocatalytic Cross-Coupling of Aryl Halides with a Genetically Engineered Photosensitizer Artificial Dehalogenase

Liu, X.; Wang, J.; Wu, Y.; Zhong, F.

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2021, 143, 617-622, 10.1021/jacs.0c10882

Devising artificial photoenzymes for abiological bond-forming reactions is of high synthetic value but also a tremendous challenge. Disclosed herein is the first photobiocatalytic cross-coupling of aryl halides enabled by a designer artificial dehalogenase, which features a genetically encoded benzophenone chromophore and site-specifically modified synthetic NiII(bpy) cofactor with tunable proximity to streamline the dual catalysis. Transient absorption studies suggest the likelihood of energy transfer activation in the elementary organometallic event. This design strategy is viable to significantly expand the catalytic repertoire of artificial photoenzymes for useful organic transformations.


Metal: Ni
Ligand type: Bipyridine
Anchoring strategy: Covalent
Optimization: Chemical & genetic
Reaction: Cross-coupling
Max TON: 223
ee: ---
PDB: ---
Notes: ---

Rational Design of a Miniature Photocatalytic CO2-Reducing Enzyme

Liu, X.; Tian, C.; Wang, J.

ACS Catal. 2021, 11, 5628-5635, 10.1021/acscatal.1c00287

Photosystem I (PSI) is a very large membrane protein complex (∼1000 kDa) harboring P700*, the strongest reductant known in biological systems, which is responsible for driving NAD(P)+ and ultimately for CO2 reduction. Although PSI is one of the most important components in the photosynthesis machinery, it has remained difficult to enhance PSI functions through genetic engineering due to its enormous complexity. Inspired by PSI’s ability to undergo multiple-step photo-induced electron hopping from P700* to iron–sulfur [Fe4S4] clusters, we designed a 33 kDa miniature photocatalytic CO2-reducing enzyme (mPCE) harboring a chromophore (BpC) and two [Fe4S4] clusters (FeA/FeB). Through reduction potential fine-tuning, we optimized the multiple-step electron hopping from BpC to FeA/FeB, culminating in a CO2/HCOOH conversion quantum efficiency of 1.43%. As mPCE can be overexpressed with a high yield in Escherichia coli cells without requiring synthetic cofactors, further development along this route may result in rapid photo-enzyme quantum yield improvement and functional expansion through an efficient directed evolution process.


Metal: Fe
Ligand type: Amino acid
Host protein: Ferredoxin (Fd)
Anchoring strategy: Dative
Optimization: Genetic
Reaction: CO2 reduction
Max TON: 35
ee: ---
PDB: ---
Notes: ---