Nanostructured active micro-matter with biomimetic catalytic functionalities for chiral synthesis
Abstract
Chiral molecules are of crucial importance in biochemical systems, particularly in pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries. Previously, we have successfully elaborated a series of chiral imprinted metals with mesoporous features by electrodeposition of metals ranging from noble metals to non-noble metals and alloys. The designed materials have been applied, among others in electroorganic synthesis, which employs electrons as reagents, for organic redox reactions. However, the success of electroconversion typically suffers from a low efficiency in terms of selective induction of chirality, and mass transport limitations, which negatively affect the overall space-time yield. In this contribution, we propose a new concept taking advantage of the high enantioselectivity of metals that have been imprinted with molecular chiral information, as proposed by us several years ago, in synergy with self-propelled microobjects, for asymmetric chemical synthesis without applying external electricity. The leading idea of the project is to use microsized pieces of a reactive metal to generate spontaneously a chiral metal matrix following a surface templating approach. This metal layer will constitute the catalytically active shell around reactive metal, receiving the electrons which are liberated by spontaneous oxidation of reactive metals. The so-obtained hierarchically structured hybrid objects can then be used as autonomously propelled microreactors which will convert in a highly selective way prochiral molecules into enantiomers of high-added value, mimicking natural processes like the ones performed by bacteria or other mobile microorganisms. This so far completely unexplored strategy can be easily generalized and therefore will open up numerous perspectives with respect to rational design of new catalytic systems with significantly improved selectivity and efficiency. The outcome of this research will be highly selective and efficient production of chiral compounds with help of hierarchically structured hybrid objects, thus establishing the general concept of using hybrid biomimetic microobjects for the production of high added-value pharmaceutical compounds.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 16, 2024
- Source ID
- FA23862314015
Entities
People
- Chularat Wattanakit
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology