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Updated: May 21, 2026

Enzymatic Cascade Reactions for the Synthesis of Chiral Amino Alcohols from L-lysine
Published on: February 16, 2018
Nitrate-Driven Proton-Coupled Photoelectron Transfer Enables Cascade C-N Coupling of Lactic Acid to Alanine
Qingshuang Xu1,2, Kangyu Lou2, Na Wu1,2
1School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian 116029, China.
Abstract:
The sustainable synthesis of amino acids from waste-derived feedstocks remains challenged by high energy input, costly nitrogen source, and inefficient C-N formation efficiency of conventional bio-, thermo-, and photocatalytic routes. Here, we report an integrated electro-photoelectric cascade system that enables high-efficiency alanine production by coupling polylactic acid (PLA)-derived LA with hydroxylamine (NH2OH), selectively generated in situ via electrocatalytic nitrate reduction (NO3-RR). This cascade delivers a record alanine yield rate of 149.7 mmol gcat.-1 h-1 with 87.7% selectivity and further enables gram-scale alanine production under laboratory conditions, demonstrating practical scalability beyond proof of concept. Incorporation of trace Ru single atoms into MoS2 nanosheets (Ru-MoS2) creates abundant sulfur vacancies (Sv) that modulate the local electronic environment and promote efficient NH2OH utilization. Mechanistic investigations reveal a proton-coupled photoelectron transfer (PCPET) pathway, in which Mo sites dissociate water to supply protons, Ru sites mediate NH2OH-carbonyl condensation to form oxime intermediates, and the coupled delivery of protons and photoexcited electrons lowers the barrier for subsequent hydrogenation to alanine. Preliminary techno-economic analysis suggests that the NO3--driven cascade offers a favorable cost-control profile, enabled by efficient nitrogen utilization and integrated waste management. Beyond performance metrics, this work highlights how coupling nitrogen speciation with interfacial charge-proton coordination can unlock new reaction manifolds for sustainable C-N bond formation.
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