Molecularly imprinted nanoparticles to mimic natural enzymes for substrate-selective catalysis

Enzymes are extraordinary catalysts with remarkable catalytic efficiency and selectivity. One of the biggest challenges in mimicking natural enzymes is constructing a substrate-tailored active site with accurately positioned catalytic groups. The molecular imprinting technique in doubly cross-linked micelles was used, making it easy to create and post-modify an enzyme-like catalytic active site. This work used covalent templating techniques and post-functionalization to construct substrate-specific active sites for selective catalysis in hydrolyzing nonactivated alkyl esters, hydrolysis of glycosides, and doing nucleophilic substitution reactions. By taking advantage of templates, we can regulate the active site's size and shape and install different catalytic groups in the right positions near each other within the active site so that they can collaborate and work efficiently like natural enzymes. The artificial enzymes were water-soluble, nano-sized, and showed enzymatic behavior with significant rate enhancements and catalytic turnovers in different organic transformations.

Name thesis:degree_name

Doctor of Philosophy

Level thesis:degree_level

dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Organic chemistry

Department dc:contributor.department

Department of Chemistry

Grantor

Iowa State University

Year dc:date.issued

2024

Author dc:creator

• Bahrami, Foroogh

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Zhao, Yan
• Kraus, George
• Winter, Arthur
• Stanley, Levi
• Huang, Wenyu

Language dc:language.iso

en

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31274/td-20240617-1

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dr.lib.iastate.edu:20.500.12876/3wxa4E2v