Selection and amplification of a catalyst from a dynamic combinatorial library

Abstract

Amplification of the fittest: A dynamic combinatorial library (DCL) of macrocyclic disulfides in water was exposed to a transition-state analogue (TSA) for a Diels-Alder reaction. Two receptors were selected and amplified, of which one binds to the TSA more strongly than to the starting material and catalyzes the Diels-Alder reaction (see scheme).