Jain Vanshika, Pillai Pramod P
Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Dr Homi Bhabha Road Pune 411 008 India
Chem Sci. 2025 May 23. doi: 10.1039/d5sc02770e.
Harnessing the power of the Sun for perpetual chemical synthesis is one of the most sustainable ways to reduce the carbon footprint in the chemical industry. In this regard, the natural photosynthetic machinery offers key insights into the sustainable production of chemical entities in a ceaseless manner. The natural process of photosynthesis couples light harvesting to produce cofactor molecules, which then participate in enzyme-driven dark cycles for continuous biocatalytic transformations. At the core of photosynthetic machinery is the constant regeneration and consumption of cofactors, which sustain the metabolic cycles continuously. Consequently, coupling the unique powers of photocatalysis and biocatalysis through cofactor shuttling emerges as an excellent opportunity for the ceaseless production of fine chemicals. The present Perspective highlights the design principles for integrating photocatalytically regenerated cofactors with natural enzymatic cycles for various chemical transformations. Further, we examine the existing limitations of the integrated system and highlight the efforts to alleviate them. Finally, we highlight the possibilities of incorporating ideas from different research fields, from material science to synthetic biology to organometallic chemistry, to develop robust cofactor-dependent photobiocatalytic systems for the perpetual synthesis of chemicals.
利用太阳能进行持续的化学合成是减少化学工业碳足迹的最可持续方式之一。在这方面，自然光合作用机制为持续不断地可持续生产化学物质提供了关键见解。光合作用的自然过程将光捕获与辅因子分子的产生相结合，这些辅因子分子随后参与酶驱动的暗反应循环，以实现连续的生物催化转化。光合作用机制的核心是辅因子的不断再生和消耗，这持续维持着代谢循环。因此，通过辅因子穿梭将光催化和生物催化的独特能力结合起来，为精细化学品的持续生产提供了绝佳机会。本观点文章强调了将光催化再生的辅因子与自然酶循环整合用于各种化学转化的设计原则。此外，我们研究了该整合系统目前存在的局限性，并强调了为缓解这些局限性所做的努力。最后，我们强调了融合不同研究领域（从材料科学到合成生物学再到有机金属化学）的理念，以开发强大的依赖辅因子的光生物催化系统用于化学品持续合成的可能性。
