Catalysis In Chemistry And Biology

The Proceedings of the 24th International Solvay Conference on Chemistry comprise contributed short personal statements and transcripts of in-depth discussions on 'Catalysis in Chemistry and Biology' from a by-invitation-only select group of 48 eminent scientists, including four Nobel Laureates, from all parts of the world. The theme of the conference was presented in six sessions, along which the Proceedings are organized. The first session on 'Homogeneous Catalysis,' chaired by Professor Robert Grubbs, is devoted to basic research on catalysis in homogeneous solutions and applications thereof. 'Heterogeneous Catalysis and Characterization of Catalyst Surfaces,' chaired by Professor Gerhard Ertl, includes extensive references to industrial applications of catalysis on solid supports, and discussions on the experimental techniques used in this field. 'Catalysis by Microporous Materials,' chaired by Professor Mark E. Davis, is devoted to a detailed characterization of this particular class of solid support catalysts, with special emphasis on model analysis of the processes catalyzed by these materials. 'Catalysis under Extreme Conditions: Studies at High Pressure and High Temperatures -- Relations with Processes in Nature,' chaired by Professor Henk N W Lekkerkerker, broadens the scope of the two preceding sessions with exciting illustrations. The sessions on 'Catalysis by Protein Enzymes,' chaired by Prof. JoAnne Stubbe, and 'Catalysis by Ribozymes in Molecular Machines,' chaired by Prof. David Lilley, present at the same time an exciting extension of and a contrast to the initial four sessions. The combination of the six sessions provides an impressive overview, giving innovative insights into relationships between catalysis in chemical processes and in biological systems, and a unique outlook to anticipated developments in the coming years and the more distant future.

The whole range of biocatalysis, from a firm grounding in theoretical concepts to in-depth coverage of practical applications and future perspectives. The book not only covers reactions, products and processes with and from biological catalysts, but also the process of designing and improving such biocatalysts. One unique feature is that the fields of chemistry, biology and bioengineering receive equal attention, thus addressing practitioners and students from all three areas.

In order to meet the ever-increasing demands for enantiopure compounds, heteroge- ous, homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis evolved independently in the past. Although all three approaches have yielded industrially viable processes, the latter two are the most widely used and can be regarded as complementary in many respects. Despite the progress in structural, computational and mechanistic studies, however, to date there is no universal recipe for the optimization of catalytic processes. Thus, a trial-and-error approach remains predominant in catalyst discovery and optimization. With the aim of complementing the well-established fields of homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis, organocatalysis and artificial metalloenzymes have enjoyed a recent revival. Artificial metalloenzymes, which are the focus of this book, result from comb- ing an active but unselective organometallic moiety with a macromolecular host. Kaiser and Whitesides suggested the possibility of creating artificial metallo- zymes as long ago as the late 1970s. However, there was a widespread belief that proteins and organometallic catalysts were incompatible with each other. This severely hampered research in this area at the interface between homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis. Since 2000, however, there has been a growing interest in the field of artificial metalloenzymes for enantioselective catalysis. The current state of the art and the potential for future development are p- sented in five well-balanced chapters. G. Roelfes, B. Feringa et al. summarize research relying on DNA as a macromolecular host for enantioselective catalysis.

This reference covers the wide and rapidly growing field of biocatalysis. It combines complementary expertise from such areas as microbiology, enzymology, molecular biology structural biology and organic chemistry, thus highlighting the interdisciplinary nature of the subject. With its special focus on progress and new developments towards environmentally beneficial reactions with high levels of selectivity for the production of key compound classes, this book will enlighten both chemists and biologists as to the advances and opportunities existing in enzyme catalysis.

This book is indexed in Chemical Abstracts ServiceGreen Chemistry has evolved in response to several environmental issues in the second half of the last century, mostly due to the almost freely expanding chemical, petrochemical, and pharmaceutical industries. During the past two decades Green Chemistry grew rapidly and we can now consider this area as a mature and powerful field. Tremendous development has taken place in many important areas including renewable energy and resources, reaction environments, catalysis, synthesis, chemical biology, green polymers, and facile recycling. The combination of Green Chemistry with engineering, biology, toxicology, and physics will lead to novel interdisciplinary systems, which can now lift Green Chemistry to the next, advanced level.The editors have assembled authors among the best specialists of this growing area of research. This collection of reviews and perspectives provides an exciting vision of the more recent developments in Green Chemistry. The contents of this book illustrate the breath of the field and its role to address environmental issues. This volume will serve as a book of reference showing a panoramic view of the field and a preview of its future direction, as well as a book of inspiration for those aiming to further advance its frontiers. This volume emphasizes on the most recent developments in green catalysis, bio-sourced polymers and the study of continental organic matter for a better understanding of the carbon geochemical cycle.

The synergy between synthetic biology and biocatalysis is emerging as an important trend for future sustainable processes. This book reviews all modern and novel techniques successfully implemented in biocatalysis, in an effort to provide better performing enzymatic systems and novel biosynthetic routes to (non-)natural products. This includes the use of molecular techniques in protein design and engineering, construction of artificial metabolic pathways, and application of computational methods for enzyme discovery and design. Stress is placed on current 'hot' topics in biocatalysis, where recent advances in research are defining new grounds in enzyme-catalyzed processes. With contributions from leading academics around the world, this book makes a ground-breaking contribution to this progressive field and is essential reading for graduates and researchers investigating (bio)catalysis, enzyme engineering, chemical biology, and synthetic biology.

This text aims to present catalysis in a coherent, unified and easy-to-teach manner. The subject traditionally appears as fragments in courses such as chemical reaction engineering, chemical engineering, kinetics, organometallic chemistry and physical chemistry.