Bioinspired organometallic chemistry*
Lanny S. Liebeskind1,**, Jiri Srogl1, Cecile Savarin2, and Concepcion
Polanco3
1Emory University, Department of Chemistry, 1515 Pierce
Drive, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; 2Merck and Company, P.O. Box 2000, RY800-C264,
Rahway, NJ 07065, USA; 3Pharma Mar, S. A. C/ de la Calera 3, 28760-Tres
Cantos, Madrid, Spain
Abstract: Given the stability of the bond between a mercaptide
ligand and various redox-active metals, it is of interest that Nature
has evolved significant metalloenzymatic processes that involve key
interactions of sulfur-containing functionalities with metals such as
Ni, Co, Cu, and Fe. From a chemical perspective, it is striking that
these metals can function as robust biocatalysts in vivo, even though
they are often "poisoned" as catalysts in vitro through formation
of refractory metal thiolates. Insight into the nature of this chemical
discrepancy is under study in order to open new procedures in synthetic
organic and organometallic chemistry.
*Lecture presented at the 11th IUPAC International
Symposium on Organometallic Chemistry Directed Towards Organic Synthesis
(OMCOS-11), Taipei, Taiwan, 22-26 July 2001. Other presentations are
presented in this issue, pp.1-186.
**Corresponding author.
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