Bioinorganic synthesis

Garner, C.D. and Mann, S. (1995) Synthesis and structure of an iron(III) sulfide-ferritin bioinorganic nanocomposite. Science, 269, 54-57. 

This article presents the principles known so far for the synthesis of metal complexes containing stable carbenes, including the preparation of the relevant carbene precursors. The use of some of these compounds in transition-metal-catalyzed reactions is discussed mainly for ruthenium-catalyzed olefin metathesis and palladium-Znickel-catalyzed coupling reactions of aryl halides, but other reactions will be touched upon as well. Chapters about the properties of metal- carbene complexes, their applications in materials science and medicinal chemistry, and their role in bioinorganic chemistry round the survey off. The focus of this review is on ZV-heterocyclic carbenes, in the following abbreviated as NHC and NHCs, respectively. 

This book should be of interest to academic and industrial researchers involved in the fields of organometallic, coordination and bioinorganic chemistry, transition metal catalysis, and organic synthesis. 

The problems addressed by inorganic chemistry continue to be challenges well into the twenty-first century. For example, coordination chemistry will continue to provide compounds with unusual properties and uses, and will become an increasingly important component in bioinorganic chemistry. Organometallic chemistry will continue as one of the most active areas of catalysis research, especially in the chemical, energy, pharmaceuticals, and pollution control industries. New methods to meet the needs of the production of inorganic chemicals will involve environmental friendly synthesis (Navratil, 1998). 

The bioinorganic chemistry of NO has only developed after the publication of the first edition of this book. Because this book deals with metal catalysis, a discussion of NO does not belong here. However, its reduction with an NO reductase [33] and its synthesis from L-arginine with an NO synthase oxygenase [34] clearly deal with metal heme systems and therefore should be mentioned here as well. 

Whilton, N. T., Vickers, P. X and Mann, S. (1997). Bioinorganic clays synthesis and characterization of amino- and polyamino acid intercalated layered double hydroxides. J. Mater. Chem. 7, 1623. 

All of the special techniques used for metalloenzymes are most useful when analogous small molecules have been prepared by inorganic synthesis and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The preparation of these model complexes allows a given physical property to be associated with a particular coordination structure or oxidation state. Synthesis of model complexes with structural, functional, or spectroscopic properties relevant to a particular metalloenzyme is a vital aspect of bioinorganic chemistry (13) and is described in numerous chapters in this volume. 

The intriguing structure of the GAOX active site has raised a challenge to the held of bioinorganic chemistry and inspired the synthesis of an array of molecular models. Models for the isolated Tyr-Cys side chain have yielded important information on the chemistry and spectroscopy of the dissected cofactor, as described earlier (Section VI) (Whittaker <2/., 1993 lioh etal., 1993, 1997 Gerfen <2/., 1996). More recently, attention has been directed at mimicking the complex structure, spectroscopy, and even the catalytic reactivity of the intact radical-copper complex in model chemistry. 

Ragsdale, S. W., and Riordan, C. G., 1996, The Role Of Nickel In Acetyl-CoA Synthesis By The Bifunctional Enzyme CO Dehydrogenase/Acetyl-CoA Synthase Enzymology And Model Chemistry, J. Bioinorganic Chemistry 1 4899493. 

Interest in metal-dithiolene complexes has increased since their initial synthesis to the present, because of their potential application as molecular materials with conducting, magnetic and opticaP properties and their involvement in bioinorganic processes at the active site of Mo and W metalloenzymes. These applications have stimulated a multidisciplinary approach to these systems which includes theoretical smdies and use of sophisticated characterization methods, furnishing a deep understanding of the struc-ture/property relationship. This allows chemists to tailor metal-dithiolene complexes... 

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