Laccase catalyses sustainable organic transformations

Biocatalysis has emerged as a powerful approach in modern chemistry, offering sustainable and innovative alternatives across diverse fields such as organic synthesis, environmental remediation, and biosensing. Within this context, laccases have gained prominence as versatile oxidoreductases capable of catalysing a broad range of oxidative transformations under mild and environmentally friendly conditions. Harnessing molecular oxygen as the terminal electron acceptor, laccases enable atom-economical and efficient oxidative processes compatible with a wide variety of functional groups and substrates. This review explores laccase-mediated catalysis, with particular emphasis on the role of molecular oxygen in enabling sustainable organic transformations. It discusses the mechanisms, synthetic applications, and industrial potential of oxygen-dependent laccase-catalysed reactions while highlighting the factors that influence reaction outcomes, including substrate characteristics, reaction conditions, and the formation of competing products. Overall, the review demonstrates how laccase-mediated catalysis contributes to the development of greener and more sustainable strategies in organic chemistry.