Applied biocatalysis. Enzymes as useful tools in organic synthesis

Abstract

Biocatalysis plays a fundamental role in the design of sustainable processes for the preparation of relevant organic molecules. The discovery of enzymatic activity in organic solvents together with the possibility of modifying their surface through immobilization techniques, or alternatively their amino acid sequence by using molecular biology techniques, provide access to robust and attractive catalysts for the industrial sector. The compatibility of different biocatalysts under similar reaction conditions has led to the development of concurrent processes, which allow the design of straightforward chemical routes with excellent yield and selectivity values. Nowadays enzymes are considered as versatile catalysts for synthetic transformations since the implementation of biotransformations has been possible in many chemical multinational enterprises, while the creation of biotechnological companies has suffered an exponential growth since the early xxi century until now.