caterina.netto@emory.edu
Group Member Since 2021
My research focuses on the study of metallic complexes as mimetics of enzymes. The use of mimetic complexes in catalysis can aid in the comprehension of enzyme’s mechanism and on catalysis itself. Therefore, my research is divided into enzyme mechanism study and CO2 reduction. The enzyme mechanism I chose to study is urease due to its key role in medicine, since this enzyme is recognized as a virulence factor in pathogenesis and alkalinization diseases. The idea is to understand the catalytic mechanism of urease by trapping its intermediate and the use of urease’s mimetic complexes as controls. On the other hand, for the CO2 reduction projects, I aim to use copper and zinc complexes to improve the photoreduction of CO2 by coupling it to enzymes that are linked to fuel synthesis such as lipase and formate dehydrogenase. The junction between mimetic complexes, enzymes, and nanomaterials will possibly enable new ways for the synthesis of green fuels.