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Biocatalysis

Photobiocatalysts tame nitrogen-centred radicals

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Enzymes are capable of controlling the reactivity and selectivity of catalytic mechanisms involving highly reactive intermediates. Now, flavine mononucleotide-dependent ene-reductases have been repurposed as photobiocatalysts for generating and taming unstable N-centred radicals, enabling their application in asymmetric radical C–N couplings.

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Fig. 1: Repurposing ene-reductases for enantioselective intramolecular radical C–N couplings.

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Correspondence to Marc Garcia-Borràs.

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Garcia-Borràs, M. Photobiocatalysts tame nitrogen-centred radicals. Nat Catal 6, 654–656 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41929-023-01004-4

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