Engineering Dirhodium Artificial Metalloenzymes for Diazo Coupling Cascade Reactions**

Abstract

Artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) are commonly used to control the stereoselectivity of catalytic reactions, but controlling chemoselectivity remains challenging. In this study, we engineer a dirhodium ArM to catalyze diazo cross‐coupling to form an alkene that, in a one‐pot cascade reaction, is reduced to an alkane with high enantioselectivity (typically >99 % ee) by an alkene reductase. The numerous protein and small molecule components required for the cascade reaction had minimal effect on ArM catalysis. Directed evolution of the ArM led to improved yields and E/Z selectivities for a variety of substrates, which translated to cascade reaction yields. MD simulations of ArM variants were used to understand the structural role of the cofactor on ArM conformational dynamics. These results highlight the ability of ArMs to control both catalyst stereoselectivity and chemoselectivity to enable reactions in complex media that would otherwise lead to undesired side reactions.

Document Details

Document Type
Pub Defense Publication
Publication Date
Aug 20, 2021
Source ID
10.1002/anie.202107982

Entities

People

  • Benoît Roux
  • David M. Upp
  • Jared C Lewis
  • Max J. Bultman
  • Rui Huang
  • Ying Li

Organizations

  • Indiana University
  • National Science Foundation
  • United States Army Research Laboratory
  • University of Chicago

Tags

Fields of Study

  • Chemistry

Readers

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