A team led by Prof. Xiaoqiang Huang at Nanjing University has made a major breakthrough in asymmetric electroenzymatic catalysis, creating a novel system that combines ferrocene methanol mediated oxidation with ThDP dependent enzyme catalysis. Supported by EPR studies at the Hefei Institutes of Physical Science, the research was published in Nature.

This new platform overcomes long standing challenges in integrating enzymes with electricity by enabling efficient single electron transfer through a ferrocene mediator and engineered enzymes. The system achieves dynamic kinetic resolution of α branched aldehydes, producing (S) profens with up to 99% enantiomeric excess,even at low enzyme loadings.

Mechanistic studies confirmed the generation of key radical intermediates, and the engineered enzyme was found to play multiple roles substrate recognition,racemization, and electron transfer coordination. This work opens new paths for non-natural, green asymmetric synthesis.

Source :  https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1090705