Ward, T.R.

J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 9030-9031, 10.1021/ja035545i

Homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis offer complementary means to generate enantiomerically pure compounds. Incorporation of achiral biotinylated rhodium−diphosphine complexes into (strept)avidin yields artificial metalloenzymes for the hydrogenation of N-protected dehydroamino acids. A chemogenetic optimization procedure allows one to produce (R)-acetamidoalanine with 96% enantioselectivity. These hybrid catalysts display features reminiscent both of enzymatic and of homogeneous systems.

Ward, T.R.

Chimia 2003, 57, 586-588, 10.2533/000942903777678722

With the aim of exploring the role of the second coordination sphere in enantioselective catalysis, achiral organometallic catalyst precursors are anchored in proteins via non-covalent interactions. A chemogenetic procedure allows the activity and the enantioselectivity of the artificial metalloenzymes to be optimized, to yield hybrid catalysts with features reminiscent both of enzymatic and homogeneous catalysts.

Watanabe, Y.

Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2003, 42, 1005-1008, 10.1002/anie.200390256

Insertion of a symmetric metal complex, [CrIII(5,5′‐tBu‐salophen)]+ (H2salophen=N,N′‐bis(salicylidene)‐1,2‐phenylenediamine), into the active site of apomyoglobin is demonstrated (see picture). The metal ion and the ligand structure are very important factors that influence the binding affinity of the metal complex with the myoglobin (Mb) cavity. Semisynthetic metalloenzymes can catalyze enantioselective sulfoxidation by using the chiral protein cavity.