Oxygenases have been the subject of much study and are of great interest and application. Biomimetic chemistry of oxygenases has yielded clarification of enzyme structures and reaction mechanisms and has also led to the development of synthetic oxygenation processes. This volume contains 8 chapters written by leading researchers which together present an overview of di- and mono-oxygenases and their model systems from the point of view of functions, structures and mechanisms. An up-to-date clarification of structures around active centres of heme- and nonheme-oxygenases is given, with reference to the design of model complexes. Various contributions also discuss in detail the formation, structure and reactivity of metal-oxygen and metal-substrate species in both enzyme and model systems. The contents of the volume address the interface between bioinorganic chemistry and homogeneous catalysis and contains much to emphasize the importance of catalytic studies in bio- and biomimetic chemistry.
