The incorporation of a synthetic, catalytically competent metallo cofactor into a protein scaffold to generate an artificial metalloenzyme (ArM) lead to new activities specific of the cofactor.
The preparation of a heterogeneous bifunctional catalytic system, combining the catalytic properties of an organometallic catalyst (racemization) with those of an enzyme (enantioselective acylation) is described. A novel ruthenium phosphonate inhibitor was synthesized and covalently anchored to a lipase immobilized on a solid support (CALB, Novozym 435). The immobilized bifunctional catalytic system showed activity in both racemization of (S)-1-phenylethanol and selective acylation of 1-phenylethanol.
