Enzymes are specialized proteins that serve as catalysts for numerous chemical reactions necessary for survival. Enzymes contain active sites which are portions of the protein responsible for the overall chemical reactivity. Certain fields of chemistry focus on the synthesis of small molecules that resemble this active site and maintain its natural chemical reactivity. A group of chemicals referred to as vanadium haloperoxidases contain a vanadium metal center and are known to be effective at such enzyme mimicry. Our goal is to synthesize and study a vanadium haloperoxidase mimic and analyze its physical and chemical properties.
