Mobilizing Cu(I) for Carbon-Carbon Bond Forming Catalysis in the Presence of Thiolate. Chemical Mimicking of Metallothioneins

Copper(I) is rendered catalytically viable in the presence of thiolate by the design of a small molecule chemical analogue of the metallothionein system in which an N-O reactant serves the same conceptual purpose of the S-S reactant of the biological system.