Chemical tools for mechanistic studies related to catechol oxidase activity

Important questions remain unanswered concerning the catalytic mechanism of catechol oxidase, an enzyme with a coupled dinuclear copper active site, which catalyzes the oxidation of o-diphenols to o-quinones in presence of dioxygen. In this review we try to demonstrate how well-suited biomimetic models could help elucidate the mechanistic pathway involved in the catalytic cycle of the enzyme. Moreover, the use of F-19 NMR as a powerful analytical technique is described.