Figure 6.

Some opportunities for biocatalysis in organosilicon chemistry. (A) Silicon is a bioisostere for carbon, and substituting Si for C can be a powerful strategy for modulating the properties of pharmaceuticals and other molecules. SiAAs are a key example. (B) Molecules chiral at Si can have important biological properties but can be difficult to synthesize. The S_Si epimer of silacyclopentanetriol binds the serotonin receptor 5-HT_2B tightly, while the R_Si epimer is inactive.⁸⁵ (C) No methods for the asymmetric synthesis of hypervalent Si complexes, like silatranes, are known despite their unique properties. (D) Dimethyldichlorosilane, the key feedstock for the silicone industry, relies on energy-intensive synthetic routes.^21,22 Biomethylation of silicon would present an alternative route to methylated feedstocks. (E) Silsesquioxane materials have numerous emerging applications. Enzymes may complement existing functionalization strategies.