This book provides an overview of bioinspired metal-sulfur catalysis by covering structures, activities and model complexes of enzymes exhibiting metal sulphur moieties in their active center.

Can we emulate nature's technology in chemistry? Through billions of years of evolution, Nature has generated some remarkable systems and substances that have made life on earth what it is today. Increasingly, scientists are seeking to mimic Nature's systems and processes in the lab in order to harness the power of Nature for the benefit of society. Bioinspiration and Biomimicry in Chemistry explores the chemistry of Nature and how we can replicate what Nature does in abiological settings. Specifically, the book focuses on wholly artificial, man-made systems that employ or are inspired by principles of Nature, but which do not use materials of biological origin. Beginning with a general overview of the concept of bioinspiration and biomimicry in chemistry, the book tackles such topics as: Bioinspired molecular machines Bioinspired catalysis Biomimetic amphiphiles and vesicles Biomimetic principles in macromolecular science Biomimetic cavities and bioinspired receptors Biomimicry in organic synthesis Written by a team of leading international experts, the contributed chapters collectively lay the groundwork for a new generation of environmentally friendly and sustainable materials, pharmaceuticals, and technologies. Readers will discover the latest advances in our ability to replicate natural systems and materials as well as the many impediments that remain, proving how much we still need to learn about how Nature works. Bioinspiration and Biomimicry in Chemistry is recommended for students and researchers in all realms of chemistry. Addressing how scientists are working to reverse engineer Nature in all areas of chemical research, the book is designed to stimulate new discussion and research in this exciting and promising field.

Faced with the steady rise in energy costs, dwindling fossil fuel supplies, and the need to maintain a healthy environment - exploration of alternative energy sources is essential for meeting energy needs. Biological systems employ a variety of efficient ways to collect, store, use, and produce energy. By understanding the basic processes of biological models, scientists may be able to create systems that mimic biomolecules and produce energy in an efficient and cost effective manner. On May 14-15, 2007 a group of chemists, chemical engineers, and others from academia, government, and industry participated in a workshop sponsored by the Chemical Sciences Roundtable to explore how bioinspired chemistry can help solve some of the important energy issues the world faces today. The workshop featured presentations and discussions on the current energy challenges and how to address them, with emphasis on both the fundamental aspects and the robust implementation of bioinspired chemistry for energy.

Bioinorganic chemistry is an interdisciplinary research field which centers on metals in biology. Over the past few decades, advances in chemistry, biology as well as in spectroscopic methods have shed light on the role of copper in human pathologies and allowed the growing discovery of copper-containing biological systems. Following this trend, much effort is being constantly chanelled towards understanding these fundamental biological processes or enzymes. In addition, chemists are developing molecules to target copper or copper enzymes as therapeutic tools. On the other hand, inspired by the function of biological systems, small molecular weight complexes inspired by the active site of copper enzymes are being prepared and studied. These bioinspired complexes can function both as mechanistic tools and as functional catalysts for oxidative transformations.The seven chapters in this book, contributed by internationally recognized authors cover recent developments on these aspects illustrated by interdisciplinary fields from biology, chemistry, spectroscopy to bioinspired catalysis. It contains aspects ranging from human health issues (copper homeostasis in bacteria and the development of molecules as anticancer or antibacterial agents) to bioinspired catalysis.

Supramolecular Catalysis Provides a timely and detailed overview of the expanding field of supramolecular catalysis The subdiscpline of supramolecular catalysis has expanded in recent years, benefiting from the development of homogeneous catalysis and supramolecular chemistry. Supramolecular catalysis allows chemists to design custom-tailored metal and organic catalysts by devising non-covalent interactions between the various components of the reaction. Edited by two world-renowned researchers, Supramolecular Catalysis: New Directions and Developments summarizes the most significant developments in the dynamic, interdisciplinary field. Contributions from an international panel of more than forty experts address a broad range of topics covering both organic and metal catalysts, including emergent catalysis by self-replicating molecules, switchable catalysis using allosteric effects, supramolecular helical catalysts, and transition metal catalysis in confined spaces. This authoritative and up-to-date volume: Covers ligand-ligand interactions, assembled multi-component catalysts, ligand-substrate interactions, and supramolecular organocatalysis and non-classical interactions Presents recent work on supramolecular catalysis in water, supramolecular allosteric catalysis, and catalysis promoted by discrete cages, capsules, and other confined environments Highlights current research trends and discusses the future of supramolecular catalysis Includes full references and numerous figures, tables, and color illustrations Supramolecular Catalysis: New Directions and Developments is essential reading for catalytic chemists, complex chemists, biochemists, polymer chemists, spectroscopists, and chemists working with organometallics.

The development of renewable and sustainable lignocellulosic biofuels is currently receiving worldwide attention and investment. Despite decades of research, there remain significant challenges to be overcome before these biofuels can be produced in large volumes at competitive prices. One obstacle is the lack of efficient and affordable catalytic systems to dissolve and hydrolyze polysaccharides into sugars. These sugars are then fed to microrganisms and fermented into biofuels. The price of these catalysts, be they biological, thermochemical, or chemical in nature, represent one of the largest costs in the conversion process. There are a number of catalytic schemes, each with their own advantages and disadvantages, available. This book presents a general yet substantial review of the most promising processes and the spectrum of biomass pretreatment, enzymes, chemical catalysts, and hybrid approaches of hydrolyzing biomass into fermentable sugars. It is the only currently available book that compares the biochemical, chemical, and thermochemical conversion processes to biofuel production.

"Provides the latest research results and suggests new topics for interdisciplinary study of metal ions, catalysis, and biochemical systems. Second Edition highlights potential applications; includes new chapters on zinc and FeS clusters; presents new X-ray analysis of metalloenzymes; and more."