Catalysis/catalysts biological

The importance of catalysis in biological as well as synthetic organic chemistry cannot be overstated. In Chapter 2, Donald Hilvert examines the scope and utility of asymmetric reactions under catalysis by antibodies. From a stereochemical point of view, this has significant impact not only in the production of important compounds in stereochemically defined form, but also in the ability of the antibody catalysts to alter the stereochemical course of organic reactions in fashions contrary to their natural tendencies. The most important chemical transformations carried out by catalytic antibodies are covered and provide the reader with an excellent snapshot of the state of the art of this emerging subfield in asymmetric catalysis. In addition, a critical appraisal of the limitations and future directions is included which should provide ample stimulation for thought. 

Heterogeneous Catalysis Homogeneous Catalysis Enzymes Biological Catalysts... 

This example illustrates a subtle control of a chemical reaction by a delicate manipulation of tire stereochemical environment around a metal centre dictated by tire selection of tire ligands. This example hints at tire subtlety of nature s catalysts, tire enzymes, which are also typically stereochemically selective. Chiral catalysis is important in biology and in tire manufacture of chemicals to regulate biological functions, i.e., phannaceuticals. 

Enzymatic Catalysis. Enzymes are biological catalysts. They increase the rate of a chemical reaction without undergoing permanent change and without affecting the reaction equiUbrium. The thermodynamic approach to the study of a chemical reaction calculates the equiUbrium concentrations using the thermodynamic properties of the substrates and products. This approach gives no information about the rate at which the equiUbrium is reached. The kinetic approach is concerned with the reaction rates and the factors that determine these, eg, pH, temperature, and presence of a catalyst. Therefore, the kinetic approach is essentially an experimental investigation. 

Wastewaters containing chlorinated hydrocarbons (CHCs) are very toxic for aquatic system even at concentrations of ppm levels [1] thus, appropriate treatment technologies are required for processing them to non-toxic or more biologically amenable intermediates. Catalytic wet oxidation can offer an alternative approach to remove a variety of such toxic organic materials in wet streams. Numerous supported catalysts have been applied for the removal of aqueous organic wastes via heterogeneous wet catalysis [1,2]. 

Enzymes are proteins catalyzing all in vivo biological reactions. Enzymatic catalysis can also be utilized for in vitro reactions of not only natural substrates but some unnatural ones. Typical characteristics of enzyme catalysis are high catalytic activity, large rate acceleration of reactions under mild reaction conditions, high selectivities of substrates and reaction modes, and no formation of byproducts, in comparison with those of chemical catalysts. In the field of organic synthetic chemistry, enzymes have been powerful catalysts for stereo- and regioselective reactions to produce useful intermediates and end-products such as medicines and liquid crystals. ... 

The large molecular size and ambient operation of enzymes means that they are likely to be more suited to niche applications rather than to high-power devices, but there are important lessons to be leamt from biological catalysis that occurs in conditions under which conventional metal catalysts would fail. Development of synthetic catalysts inspired by the chemistry (although not necessarily the stmctures) of enzyme active sites may lead to future catalysts with new and improved properties. 

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