Copper(I) is rendered catalytically viable in the presence of thiolate by the design of a small molecule chemical analogue of the metallothionein system in which an N-O reactant serves the same conceptual purpose of the S-S reactant of the biological system.
<pan class="Chemical">span class="Chemical">Copperpan>(I) is rendered catalytically viable in the presence of <sppan>an class="Chemical">thiolate by the design of a small mole<span class="Chemical">cule chemical analogue of the metallothionein system in which an N-O reactant serves the same conceptual purpose of the S-S reactant of the biological system.