Molecular Design and Bioorganic Catalysis

One of the most active areas of contemporary organic chemistry involves the search for new catalysts that borrow concepts, strategies and even components from enzymes but yet are not to be found in nature. Such artificial enzymes not only give insights into the mechanisms of enzyme catalysis but also offer the potential for catalyzing a wide range of chemical reactions that have no counterpart in nature. In this work, the authors discuss the state of the art in artificial enzymes and possible future research directions. Many facets of the field are represented, including protein engineering, catalytic antibodies, RNA catalysis, enzymes in organic solvents, micellar catalysis and general supramolecular catalysis. Particular emphasis is placed on a discussion of the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy and what can be learned from a candid assessment of the present achievements of the different approaches.