OXIDATIONS BY COPPER METALLOENZYMES AND SOME BIOMIMETIC APPROACHES

This paper illustrates the various aspects of the reactivity of the Cu (II)-Cu(I) system in biological systems, with one example of an enzyma tic reaction in which Cu(II) alone is oxidizing enough to carry out th e reaction (superoxide dismutase), one example in which a Cu(II)-bound peroxo intermediate is the active species (tyrosinase) and the exampl es of galactose oxidase and copper amine oxidases in which Cu(II) is a ssociated with a redox active organic cofactor, In some cases, we will show some illustrations of biomimetic approaches developed in our lab oratories, aimed at a better understanding of reaction mechanisms and at an original design of new catalysts with potential applications in synthetic chemistry. Some comments are given concerning the respective features of copper and iron. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science S.A.