A predictive active site model for the cyclohexanone Monooxygenase catalyzed oxidation of sulfides to chiral sulfoxides

An active site model to explain and predict the stereoselectivity of the sultoxidation of organic sulfides to optically active sulfoxides catalyzed by cyclohexanone monooxygenase from Acinetobacter NCIB 9871 is proposed. The model is based on cubic-space descriptors and derives from the results obtained with over 30 different sulfides. The model, which also appears to be suitable for explaining the stereoselectivity of cyclohexanone monooxygenase-catalyzed Baeyer-Villiger reactions, is consistent with and expands on the features of other previously described models for the latter process.