New design selective homogeneous catalysts closer

Chemists at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) are one step closer to a bio-inspired rational design for selective homogeneous catalysts. They made a so-called ‘Rhodium-bisphosphine complex’ with a binding site for carboxylates and phosphates. Control of selectivity in reactions is crucial for the development of sustainable synthetic routes for the fine chemicals industry. The study was recently published as a back-cover article in Angewandte Chemie International Edition, the world's leading chemistry journal.

Homogeneous catalysis using transition metals makes new selective synthesis routes possible. The activity and selectivity of the catalyst is determined by the metal and the ligand, usually an organic molecule where many possibilities for variation exist. The search for a selective catalyst often implies the search for an appropriate ligand. Nature uses a much wider range of tools to control selectivity. Thus, the substrate (the substance), which needs to be converted into an enzyme, is often correctly positioned by hydrogen bonding interactions between the substrate and functional groups in the cavity of the enzyme where the substrate is converted. (UvA)

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