Laccase-catalysed homocoupling of primary aromatic amines towards the biosynthesis of dyes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1002/adsc.201300501

Coloured disubstituted benzoquinonimine trimeric structures are obtained as main reaction products of the oxidation of p-electron donor pri-mary aromatic amines using two different laccases, CotA-laccase from Baccilus subtilus and TvL from Trametes versicolor. These orange-red to purple products, presenting high molar extinction coeffi-cients, presumably result from oxidative homocou-pling reactions, through the formation of N-C bonds at positions 2 and 5, of the laccase oxidised inter-mediate as showed in the proposed oxidative path-way. The product of 1,4-phenylenediamine is shown to be the trimer known as Bandrowski's base which has an established role in hair and fur dyeing. Our results also show that the occurrence and/or rates of oxidation of aromatic amines are strongly dependent on the presence of p-electron releasing substituents in the aromatic ring and are independent on the properties of the enzyme used. Overall our data con-tribute for (i) understanding key features of laccase reactivity with p-substituted aromatic amines and (ii) establishing enzymatic processes that lead to the syn-thesis of coloured bio-products under mild condi-tions with potential impact in the cosmetic and dye industries.