Synthesis and Reactivity of Alkene Dioxygenase Model Complexes

Carotenoids are a family of molecules that are categorized by their alternating carbon-carbon double bonds, and are responsible for a variety of important processes in all forms of life. Carotenoid Cleavage Dioxygenases (CCDs) are iron-containing enzymes capable of converting carotenoids to biologically important molecules, which are critical for biological functions in plants and animals. CCDs cause specific carbon-carbon double bonds in carotenoids to break. In this study, the investigation of CCDs and similar structured enzymes using small molecule model compounds will help to determine the relationship between structure and reactivity. This relationship can be tested by using iron-containing compounds for enzyme modeling with continual structure adjustments and reacting said compounds with relevant organic molecules. This will result in further knowledge of enzymes and the creation of compounds that can be used as catalysts to assist in the determination of reaction mechanisms. This information will advance understanding of reactions previously proposed by experimental and theoretical investigators in this field.