Polyamino acids as synthetic enzymes: mechanism, applications and relevance to prebiotic catalysis

Polyamino acids, such as polyleucine, behave as synthetic enzymes in the asymmetric epoxidation of chalcone and other electron-deficient alkenes (the Julià–Colonna reaction). The influences of reaction conditions, of the molecular structure of the catalysts and of the scaling-up of the process on the enantioselectivity of the reaction have been determined. The kinetics and mechanism have been investigated using a soluble PEG-polyleucine conjugate, which behaves in a similar way to an enzyme, showing saturation kinetics for both chalcone and HOO−. Enantioselective catalysis is achieved with peptides with as few as five residues and scalemic catalysts show high chiral amplification. Here, we discuss the relevance of these-enzyme like catalysts to prebiotic processes, such as the role of small peptides in the formation of optically active cyanohydrins.