Nanomicelle-enabled chemoenzymatic catalysis: Clean chemistry in “dirty” water

The two worlds of organic synthesis that rely on reagents used in organic solvents and enzymes that function mainly in water can now be melded; both reaction types are amenable to sequential, multi-step processes run in an aqueous reaction medium made possible by the presence of a nonionic surfactant. The list of roles being played by micellar arrays derived from an amphiphile present in the aqueous reaction medium is growing, including (1) enabling a multitude of C–C, C–N, and C–H bond-forming reactions; (2) minimizing enzymatic inhibition by supplying an alternative site for products to relocate, clearing the entrance to enzymatic active sites; (3) shielding enzymes from denaturing metals by encouraging catalysts to localize within the lipophilic micellar interior; and (4) enhancing the rate of “directed evolution” due to their presence in the water.