Aldolase and N-heterocyclic carbene gold(i) catalysts: compartmentalization and immobilization on anionic clays for concurrent hybrid catalysis at acidic pH

The last limitation to concurrent reactions involving hybrid catalysis, i.e. the pH, has been solved in a model hydration-aldolisation cascade towards a rare monosaccharide synthesis by mixing a NHC-gold catalyst and an aldolase. Through enzyme confinement in a cell, itself immobilised and catalysts compartmentalized, pH and catalyst incompatibilities were overcome, giving the corresponding aldol in 68% isolated yield, then opening the scope to other cascade reactions.