A catalyst, a veritable chemical perpetuum mobile , reduces the energy required to carry out a chemical reaction without being affected by the transformation. Thanks to this unique property, they occupy a prime position in a society in search of energy savings and renewable natural resources.
There are three types of catalyst: enzymes, heterogeneous catalysts and homogeneous catalysts. Enzymes, veritable nanoscopic robots born of evolution, orchestrate all the processes of the living world: photosynthesis, cell reproduction, digestion and so on. Heterogeneous catalysts are widely used in large-scale chemical reactions taking place at high temperatures: ammonia synthesis, automotive catalysts, etc. Although less sophisticated than an enzyme, a homogeneous catalyst, a human creation par excellence, promotes a variety of chemical reactions unknown in biology.
By chemically introducing a metal into a protein environment, artificial metallo-enzymes can be created, combining the advantages of enzymes with those of homogeneous catalysts.
In this presentation, the various current approaches used in the creation of these hybrid catalysts are presented. Particular emphasis is placed on artificial metallo-enzymes containing precious metals that catalyze chemical transformations unknown to the living world. These can be integrated into biochemical cascade reactions, opening up fascinating prospects in the field of biotechnology.
