Enzymatic Catalysis for a Novel Green Synthesis Method

Professor Dr. Sumrit Wacharasindhu developed a green synthesis method using enzymatic catalysis.

We didn’t reinvent the wheel — but we did make it greener .

Enzymatic reactions in water  are promising, but solubility often holds them back especially for organic compounds like α-oxo ketene dithioacetals .

So we switched from “on-water” to “in-water” using a biodegradable surfactant, TPGS-750-M . That small shift made a big difference: better solubility, broader scope, and gram-scale bromination  with less KBr and H₂O₂. It’s mild, metal-free, and scalable  with yields up to 99% .

We hope this micellar enzymatic system can be a small but meaningful step  toward safer, more sustainable fine chemical synthesis .