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Updated: Jan 7, 2026
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Assembly of Gold Nanorods into Chiral Plasmonic Metamolecules Using DNA Origami Templates
Published on: March 5, 2019
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Stereocontrol on Helical Bimetallic DNA Catalysts with Switchable Enantioselectivity via Dynamic Reaction Distance
Jie Sheng1,2, Kelly Kar Yun Koh1, Zihan Li3
1Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore; Singapore 117544, Singapore.
Journal of the American Chemical Society
|December 29, 2025
Summary
This study introduces bimetallic DNA catalysts for asymmetric catalysis. By dynamically controlling metal-substrate positioning, researchers achieved tunable enantioselectivity for synthesizing chiral 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds.
Area of Science:
- Catalysis
- Biochemistry
- Materials Science
Background:
- Bimetallic centers in enzymes and catalysts offer unique reactivity due to dual metal sites.
- Integrating bimetallic centers into DNA scaffolds for asymmetric catalysis is an underexplored area.
- Current methods often rely on steric hindrance for stereocontrol.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a novel DNA-scaffolded bimetallic catalyst system.
- To establish a new paradigm for stereocontrol in asymmetric catalysis using dynamic spatial regulation.
- To demonstrate access to both enantiomers of vicinal chiral 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds.
Main Methods:
- Designing and constructing DNA scaffolds to precisely position two metal centers.
- Synthesizing bimetallic DNA catalysts with tunable intermetallic distances and orientations.
- Utilizing dynamic regulation of metal-binding substrate spatial relationships for stereodirection.
Main Results:
- Demonstrated a new mode of stereocontrol based on dynamic spatial relationships, not just steric effects.
- Achieved complete reversal of enantioselectivity by modulating intermetallic distance and orientation.
- Successfully synthesized both enantiomers of 1,5-dicarbonyl compounds with vicinal chiral centers.
Conclusions:
- Bimetallic DNA catalysts offer a programmable platform for advanced asymmetric catalysis.
- Dynamic spatial control of metal centers provides a powerful strategy for enantioselective synthesis.
- This approach enables versatile access to chiral molecules, including both enantiomers.
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