Microwave-induced inactivation of DNA-based hybrid catalyst in asymmetric catalysis

• Microwave irradiation with simultaneous cooling inactivates the DNA-based hybrid catalyst.
• Microwave treatment disrupts DNA double-stranded structures.
• Microwave irradiation leads to changes in binding properties between DNA and metal ligand.

DNA-based hybrid catalysts have gained strong interests in asymmetric reactions. However, to maintain the high enantioselectivity, these reactions are usually conducted at relatively low temperatures (e.g. <5 °C) for 2–3 days. Aiming to improve the reaction’s turnover rate, we evaluated microwave irradiation with simultaneous cooling as potential energy source since this method has been widely used to accelerate various chemical and enzymatic reactions. However, our data indicated that microwave irradiation induced an inactivation of DNA-based hybrid catalyst even at low temperatures (such as 5 °C). Circular dichroism (CD) spectra and gel electrophoresis of DNA suggest that microwave exposure degrades DNA molecules and disrupts DNA double-stranded structures, causing changes of DNA–metal ligand binding properties and thus poor DNA catalytic performance.