Biomimetic oxidation catalysis

Diversity-Based Approaches to Selective Biomimetic Oxidation Catalysis Albrecht Berkessel... 

Casella L, Gullotti M, Monzani E, De Gioia L, Chillemi F (1991) Biomimetic oxidation catalysis by iron (III) deuteroporpbyrin carrying a deca-L-alanine peptide chain. Rend Fis Acc Lincei 2 201-212... 

R. van Eldik, J. Reedijk, Homogeneous biomimetic oxidation catalysis, in Advances in Inorganic Chemistry, Vol. 58. Elsevier, Amsterdam, (2006). 

Biomimetic oxidation catalysis has largely focused on complexes with planar tetradentate ligands such as manganese or iron porphyrins and related macrocyclic trans-chelates[5]. There is considerable interest in the synthesis of multinuclear metal complexes since these molecules might be useful as building block for magnetic molecular materials[6] and model compounds for understanding the properties of metalloproteins[7]. 

DIVERSITY-BASED APPROACHES TO SELECTIVE BIOMIMETIC OXIDATION CATALYSIS... 

II. Biomimetic oxidation catalysis based on metal complexes 7... 

The search for catalysts has many features in common with the search for biologically active compounds, most importantly pharmaceuticals In both cases, the aim is the discovery of a property, an effect. In classical pharmaceutical (or catalysis) research (Scheme 3, top), compound isolation and characterization precedes testing. As a consequence, a lot of effort may be invested on compounds that eventually do not show the desired properties (4,5). In the combinatorial approach, (Scheme 3, bottom) characterization comes after the discovery of a desired property, and it is limited to those compounds that show the desired property. As summarized in Scheme 3 (bottom), the key features of the combinatorial approach to catalyst discovery (and optimization) are (i) the generation of libraries of catalyst candidates, and (ii) the screening of the libraries for catalytic activity. Both aspects are dealt with in a general sense in Sections LB and I.C below. Section I.D summarizes the features specific for library generation and screening in the field of biomimetic oxidation catalysis. 

D. Opportunities for Diversity-Based Methods in Biomimetic Oxidation Catalysis Enzyme Models and Enzymes... 

Our own work in the area of (diversity based) biomimetic oxidation catalysis was financially supported by the Fonds der Chemischen Industrie, by the BASF AG, Ludwigshafen, and by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (priority program Radicals in Enzymatic Catalysis ). 

This thematic issue focuses on homogeneous biomimetic oxidation catalysis. I have invited Professor Jan Reedijk (Leiden University, The Netherlands) to be the co-editor of this volume, since he has an active interest in this area and edited a monograph on Bioinorganic Catalysis in 1999. Jan Reedijk is a well-known coordination chemist for his wide interest in transition-metal chemistry and its application in biological and environmental processes. 

I thoroughly believe that these contributions cover important advances in inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry, since information on biomimetic oxidation catalysis is of fundamental interest to so many environmental, biological, and industrial processes. I trust that the inorganic and bioinorganic chemistry community will specially benefit from this thematic volume. 

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