Mimicking heme enzymes in the solid state: metal-organic materials with selectively encapsulated heme

J Am Chem Soc. 2011 Jul 13;133(27):10356-9. doi: 10.1021/ja203068u. Epub 2011 Jun 20.

Abstract

To carry out essential life processes, nature has had to evolve heme enzymes capable of synthesizing and manipulating complex molecules. These proteins perform a plethora of chemical reactions utilizing a single iron porphyrin active site embedded within an evolutionarily designed protein pocket. We herein report the first class of metal-organic materials (MOMs) that mimic heme enzymes in terms of both structure and reactivity. The MOMzyme-1 class is based upon a prototypal MOM, HKUST-1, into which catalytically active metalloporphyrins are selectively encapsulated in a "ship-in-a-bottle" fashion within one of the three nanoscale cages that exist in HKUST-1. MOMs offer unparalleled levels of permanent porosity and their modular nature affords enormous diversity of structures and properties. The MOMzyme-1 class could therefore represent a new paradigm for heme biomimetic catalysis since it combines the activity of a homogeneous catalyst with the stability and recyclability of heterogeneous catalytic systems within a single material.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Enzymes / chemistry*
  • Heme / chemistry*
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks
  • Metalloporphyrins / chemistry
  • Molecular Mimicry*
  • Organometallic Compounds / chemistry*

Substances

  • Enzymes
  • Metal-Organic Frameworks
  • Metalloporphyrins
  • Organometallic Compounds
  • bis(1,3,5-benzenetricarboxylate)tricopper(II)
  • Heme