Æ-Keto acids can be reductively aminated to Æ-amino acids via amino acid dehydrogenase catalysis, with NAD(P)H as cofactor. The nitrogen source for the amine functionality is ammonia, the least expensive source. Regeneration of the co-factor NAD(P)+ back to NAD(P)H is required for synthesis and is commonly afforded via formate dehydrogenase catalyzed oxidation of formate to carbon dioxide or gl...

Pyrazole and benzotriazole-containing thioethers, namely 1,5-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-3-thiapentane, 1,8-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)-3,6-dithiaoctane and 1,3-bis(1,2,3-benzotriazol-1-yl)-2-thiapropane were prepared and fully characterized. Oxidation of the pyrazole-containing thioether by hydrogen peroxide proceeds selectively to provide a sulfoxide or sulfone, depending on the amount of...

Activated oxygen intermediates during copper zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD) catalysis were investigated using an isotope fractionation technique and natural abundance reagents. Competitive oxygen kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) are reported for the enzyme-catalyzed disproportionation of superoxide as well as the stoichiometric reaction of reduced SOD with molecular oxygen. Analysis within the c...

This review outlines several approaches for designing new and environmentally friendly heterogeneously catalyzed oxidation processes for the synthesis of fine and intermediate chemicals. Environmentally benign oxidants such as molecular oxygen, hydrogen peroxide or nitrous oxide can be activated on suitable heterogeneous catalysts showing high activity and selectivity toward the desired oxygena...

The first example of a homogeneous silver(I)-catalyzed aerobic oxidation of aldehydes in water is reported. More than 50 examples of different aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes, including natural products, were tested, and all of them successfully underwent aerobic oxidation to give the corresponding carboxylic acids in extremely high yields. The reaction conditions are very mild and greener, re...

The ionization potentials (IP) of 91 alternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) were determined from the absorption maximum of the charge-transfer complex of each hydrocarbon and chloranil in chloroform. The extent of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-catalyzed binding to DNA of 14 hydrocarbons of varying IP was measured. Only hydrocarbons with IP less than approx. 7.35 eV were significantly b...