Theoretical study of 1,2-hydride shift associated with the isomerization of glyceraldehyde to dihydroxy acetone by Lewis acid active site models.

The isomerization of glyceraldehyde to dihydroxy acetone catalyzed by the active site of Sn-beta zeolite is investigated using the B3LYP density functional and MP2 levels of theory. Structural studies were aimed to understanding the binding modes of glyceraldehyde with the active site, and the detailed free energy landscape was computed for the isomerization process. The rate-limiting step for the isomerization is the 1,2-hydride shift, which is enhanced by the active participation of the hydroxyl group in the hydrolyzed Sn-beta active site analogues to the one seen in the xylose isomerase. On the basis of the assessment of the activation barriers for isomerization by the Sn, Zr, Ti, and Si zeolite models, the activity of the catalysts are in the order of Sn > Zr > Ti > Si in aqueous dielectric media.