Dear Yurii V Geletii
Thank you for your feedback. You are right that my question was broad. More specifically, I wonder whether small-molecule catalysts can be designed to mimic enzyme active sites and achieve comparable selectivity.
Best regards,
Bensafi Toufik
There are two approaches in bio-mimetic: i) functional; ii) structural. The functional models mimic the main function of enzymes, say oxidation of methane by O2. These systems may not have the same selectivity, activity, etc. The small-molecule catalysts can be designed to mimic the main function of an enzyme. The catalysts with the structure similar to the active sites of enzymes commonly do not show any activity. The functional models are more interesting from the practical point of view.
Dear Yurii V Geletii
Thank you very much for your clear explanation of the functional vs. structural approaches in biomimetic catalysis. I find your point about functional models being more practical, particularly interesting, since achieving even partial replication of enzyme activity under mild conditions could already be highly valuable. It seems that focusing on function rather than structure may open more realistic pathways for designing efficient small-molecule catalysts
All the best,
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