Biocatalytic reactions: selected highlights

Biocatalytic reactions have been identified as an outstanding option for various applications in material chemistry such as modifying surfaces under mild conditions, preparing polymers, controlling self-assembly systems and manufacturing (chiral) monomers. Mostly driven by research for producing bioactive compounds, 'novel' biocatalytic reactions have recently become mature enough to be exploited. While transformations involving lipases and laccases/peroxidases are already widely applied, more recent improved reactions allow the (asymmetric) amination of ketones/aldehydes, the oxidation of amines and alcohols, the asymmetric reduction of ketones, or the hydroxylation of alkanes and fatty acids. Many of these reactions are ready to be exploited for materials science.