Crystallographic snapshot of an arrested intermediate in the biomimetic activation of CO2

Abstract

The design of molecular catalysts that mimic the behavior of enzymes is a topical field of activity in emerging technologies, and can lead to an improved understanding of biological systems. Herein, we report how the bulky arms of the cations in [(n C4H9)4N]+[HCO3]- give rise to a host scaffold that emulates the substrate binding sites in carbonic anhydrase enzymes, affording a unique glimpse of an arrested intermediate in the base-mediated binding and activation of CO2.