Artificial metalloenzymes-catalyzed C-H functionalization reactions based on the biotin-streptavidin technology

Catalytic C–H functionalization has emerged as a powerful platform for organic synthesis, offering numerous perspectives in natural product synthesis, late-stage diversification, agor, pharma, and material science. Even with substantial advancements in this arena, achieving selective C–H functionalization remains a formidable challenge. While various homogeneous catalysts have been crafted for this purpose, enzymatic catalysis can often provide more efficient and selective solutions in certain scenarios.
Combining the advantages of both homogeneous and enzymatic catalysis, artificial metalloenzymes (ArMs) have emerged as an attractive means to endow organometallic catalysts with an evolvable genotype. In this context, ArMs stand out as powerful tools for selective C–H functionalization reactions. The objective of this thesis is to broaden the repertoire of ArMs-catalyzed C–H functionalization reactions by designing diverse ArMs based on streptavidine(Sav)-biotin technology. Three unique ArMs were developed for amidation, carboamination and chlorination reactions. The performance of these newly designed ArMs was improved through design of experiment via the Bayesian Optimization Algorithm and directed evolution guided by crystallography analysis. Furthermore, crystallographic analysis of the optimized ArMs shed light on the intricate interactions between the metallocofactor
and the protein scaffold.