一个由华中科技大学和中科院生物物理所组成的合作小组通过基因工程改造后的人工脱卤酶，实现了生物催化的芳基卤化物的交叉偶联反应。该项研究成果发表在2021年1月7日出版的《美国化学会志》上。

在该文中，研究人员首次公开了通过人工设计的脱卤酶实现的光生物催化芳基卤化物的交叉偶联。该人工酶含一个基因编码的二苯甲酮生色团和一个定点修饰、距离可调的合成Ni^II(bpy)辅因子，以简化双催化过程。瞬时吸收研究提示在初级金属有机事件中可能存在能量转移活化。该设计策略有望大大扩展用于实用化有机合成的人工光酶库。

据了解，引导人工光酶催化非生物的成键反应具有很高的合成学价值，但挑战也很大。

附：英文原文

Title: Biocatalytic Cross-Coupling of Aryl Halides with a Genetically Engineered Photosensitizer Artificial Dehalogenase

Author: Yu Fu, Jian Huang, Yuzhou Wu, Xiaohong Liu, Fangrui Zhong, Jiangyun Wang

Issue&Volume: January 7, 2021

Abstract: Devising artificial photoenzymes for abiological bond-forming reactions is of high synthetic value but also a tremendous challenge. Disclosed herein is the first photobiocatalytic cross-coupling of aryl halides enabled by a designer artificial dehalogenase, which features a genetically encoded benzophenone chromophore and site-specifically modified synthetic NiII(bpy) cofactor with tunable proximity to streamline the dual catalysis. Transient absorption studies suggest the likelihood of energy transfer activation in the elementary organometallic event. This design strategy is viable to significantly expand the catalytic repertoire of artificial photoenzymes for useful organic transformations.

DOI: 10.1021/jacs.0c10882

Source: https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jacs.0c10882