Titanium(iv)-folded single-chain polymeric nanoparticles as artificial metalloenzyme for asymmetric sulfoxidation in water

Chem Commun (Camb). 2018 Aug 21;54(68):9430-9433. doi: 10.1039/c8cc05590d.

Abstract

Intrachain TiIV-oxazoline complexation together with hydrophobic interaction triggered the self-folding of an oxazoline-containing single polymeric chain in water. The formed TiIV-folded single-chain polymeric nanoparticles (SCPNs) acted as metalloenzyme-mimetic catalysts in asymmetric sulfoxidation in water owing to their organized, compartmentalized structure, effective site isolation, and also secondary coordination sphere provided by a copolymer backbone. In addition, they also could be facilely recovered for reuse by simple thermo-controlled separation.