A new artificial oxidase has been developed for selective transformation of thioanisole. The catalytic activity of an iron inorganic complex, FeLibu, embedded in a transport protein NikA has been investigated in aqueous media. High efficiency (up to 1367 t), frequency 459 TON min(-1) and selectivity (up to 69%) make this easy to use catalytic system an asset for a sustainable chemistry. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.