PhD defence M.F. (Faizan) Bhat

Chemoenzymatic and photobiocatalytic strategies for chemical synthesis

Abstract

Broadening the scope of biocatalysis in sustainable chemical synthesis requires the continuous development of new biocatalytic systems. The work described in this thesis focused on the development of a series of enzymes to perform crucial catalytic steps in the challenging multistep synthesis of important precursors to pharmaceutically active compounds. These include allyl alcohols, N-containing heterocycles and aminopolycarboxylic acids, as well as structurally diverse amines and azoxy- and azo-aromatics. An important finding is the use of photocatalysts to enable new catalytic function in flavin-dependent nitroreductases, allowing the selective photoenzymatic reduction of nitro and keto compounds fueled by (sun)light. Taken together, these developments illustrate the power of combining different catalysis modes to create new synthetic routes to bioactive compounds and their precursors.

Promotores Prof.dr. G.J. Poelarends and Prof.dr. F.J. Dekker