Evolving random heteropolymers towards catalytically active materials
The present disclosure relates to using monomer-based heteropolymers to create random heteropolymers that act as biomimetic catalysts that can be evolved to mimic activities of different classes of natural enzymes. The random heteropolymers comprise a mixture of heteropolymer sequences wherein a portion of the heteropolymers comprise a catalytically active region similar to that of a naturally occurring enzyme active site.
1. A composition of biomimetic catalyst molecules comprising:
a mixture of heteropolymer sequences wherein a portion of the heteropolymers comprise a catalytically active region similar to that of a naturally occurring enzyme active site, wherein the catalytically active region catalyzes a reaction of a substrate in a manner functionally similar to that of a naturally occurring enzyme; and
wherein the portion of heteropolymers comprises a 3-dimensional configuration that mimics physicochemical properties of naturally occurring enzymes.
2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the physicochemical properties comprise secondary structure, tertiary structure, surface structure, surface hydrophobicity, active site structure, and molecular weight, of a naturally occurring enzyme.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the heteropolymer sequence comprises monomers, the monomers comprising methyl methacrylate (MMA), 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate (2-EHMA), oligo (ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (OEGMA), or 3-sulfopropyl methacrylate potassium salt (SPMA).
4. The composition of claim 3 , further comprising styrene (STY) as one of the monomers.
5. The composition of claim 4 , further comprising methacrylic acid N-hydroxysuccinimide ester (NHSMA) as one of the monomers.
6. The composition of claim 5 , wherein catalytically active region binds heme.
7. The composition of claim 1 , comprising:
(a) about 50% to about 80% hydrophobic monomers;
(b) about 15% to about 40% charged or polar monomers; and
(c) about 0.01% to about 20% catalytically active region monomers.
8. The composition of claim 1 , comprising:
(a) about 40% to about 60% MMA;
(b) about 0.01% to about 30% OEGMA;
(c) about 5% to about 40% EHMA;
(d) about 0.01% to about 25% SPM; and
(e) about 0.01% to about 15% STY.
9. The composition of claim 1 , comprising:
(a) about 25% to about 60% MMA;
(b) about 10% to about 35% OEGMA;
(c) about 10% to about 45% EHMA;
(d) about 0.01% to about 10% SPMA; and
(e) about 0.01% to about 15% NHSMA.
10. A biomimetic catalyst molecule comprising:
a heteropolymer sequence comprising a catalytically active region similar to that of a naturally occurring enzyme active site, wherein the catalytically active region catalyzes a reaction of a substrate in a manner functionally similar to that of a naturally occurring enzyme; and
wherein the sequence comprises a 3-dimensional configuration of a naturally occurring protein structure.
11. A method of catalyzing a reaction comprising:
(a) providing the biomimetic catalyst of claim 1 ;
(b) incorporating a substrate; and
(c) catalyzing a reaction.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein catalysis of a reaction occurs at a temperature of about 40° C. to about 80° C.
13. The method of claim 11 , wherein catalysis of a reaction occurs after high temperature exposure of at least about 80° C.
14. The method of claim 11 , wherein catalysis of a reaction occurs in the presence of substrate aggregates.
15. The method of claim 11 , wherein catalysis of a reaction occurs at the interface of aqueous and organic solutions.
16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reaction comprises terpene cyclization.
17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reaction comprises peroxide reduction.
18. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reaction comprises tetracycline oxidation.
19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the reaction comprises radical olefin polymerization.