Biomimetic selectivity.
Synthetic organic chemistry normally achieves selectivity by manipulation of the intrinsic reactivity of the substrate, but enzyme use is quite a different principle. The geometry of the enzyme-substrate complex determines enzymatic selectivity, completely overwhelming any normal selective reactivities. Biomimetic chemistry aims to imitate the enzymatic style. Some early approaches used attached reagents or templates to direct photochemical and free radical processes, with a combination of geometric and reactivity control. Recent work uses a mimic of the enzyme class cytochrome P-450 to achieve the selective hydroxylations of steroids with complete domination by the geometry of the catalyst-substrate complex.
Breslow
R
R
Department of Chemistry, Columbia University, Chandler Laboratory, New York, New York 10027, USA. rb33@columbia.edu
D020134:Catalytic Domain; D002625:Chemistry, Organic / Q000379:methods; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System / Q000737:chemistry; D004798:Enzymes / Q000737:chemistry*; D018716:Molecular Mimicry; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism
D004798:Enzymes; D013256:Steroids; D003577:Cytochrome P-450 Enzyme System