Towards tailoring hydrophobic interaction with uranyl(VI) oxygen for C-H activation.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) has a uranyl(VI) binding hotspot where uranium is tightly bound by three carboxylates. Uranyl oxygen is "soaked" into the hydrophobic core of BSA. Isopropyl hydrogen of Val is trapped near UO 2 2+ and upon photoexcitation, C-H bond cleavage is initiated. A unique hydrophobic contact with "yl"-oxygen, as observed here, can be used to induce C-H activation.