Biohybrid catalysts resulting from the dative anchoring of half-sandwich organometallic complexes [M(arene)-(H 2 O) x (Cl) y ] n+ (M = Ru II , arene = η 6 -benzene, p-cymene or mesitylene; M = Ir III , Rh III , arene = η 5 -Cp*; x = 1-3, y = 0-2, n = 0-2) to bovine beta-lactoglobulin ( LG) or hen egg white lysozyme showed unprecedented behaviour. These constructs were shown to catalyse the asymmetric transfer hydrogenation of aryl ketones in water with sodium formate as hydrogen donor at a much faster rate than the complexes alone. Full conversion of the benchmark substrate 2,2,2-trifluoroacetophenone was reached with an ee of 86 % for the most selective biohybrid. Surprisingly, even the crude biohybrid gave a good ee despite [a] 1385 terns of the most prominent 15+ ion of LG-A and LG-A + Ru(benz) were compared (Figure 3).
Full PaperFigure 3. Isotopic distribution of the 15+ ion for LG-A (A) and LG-A + Ru(benz) (B) with experimental (top) and calculated (bottom) patterns.
Such values can certainly be attributed to complexation ofLG-A with one and two [Ru(benz)] 2+ units In addition, according to the aforementioned values, good agreement was also obtained with theoretical masses: 18529.3882 g mol -1 (5th isotope; 5 ppm) and 18707.3452 g mol -1 (5th isotope; 3 ppm) forLG-A + one Ru(benz) andLG-A + two [Ru(benz)], respectively. Assuming that all species exhibit a similar ESI response factor,