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- Bruschi, Maurizio, et al.
(author)
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Functionally Relevant Interplay between the Fe(4)S(4) Cluster and CN(-) Ligands in the Active Site of [FeFe]-Hydrogenases.
- 2010
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In: Journal of the American Chemical Society. - : American Chemical Society (ACS). - 1520-5126 .- 0002-7863. ; 132:14, s. 4992-4992
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- [FeFe]-hydrogenases are highly efficient H(2)-evolving metalloenzymes that include cyanides and carbonyls in the active site. The latter is an Fe(6)S(6) cluster (the so-called H-cluster) that can be subdivided into a binuclear portion carrying the CO and CN(-) groups and a tetranuclear subcluster. The fundamental role of cyanide ligands in increasing the basicity of the H-cluster has been highlighted previously. Here a more subtle but crucial role played by the two CN(-) ligands in the active site of [FeFe]-hydrogenases is disclosed. In fact, QM/MM calculations on all-atom models of the enzyme from Desulfovibrio desulfuricans show that the cyanide groups fine-tune the electronic and redox properties of the active site, affecting both the protonation regiochemistry and electron transfer between the two subclusters of the H-cluster. Despite the crucial role of cyanides in the protein active site, the currently available bioinspired electrocatalysts generally lack CN(-) groups in order to avoid competition between the latter and the catalytic metal centers for proton binding. In this respect, we show that a targeted inclusion of phosphine ligands in hexanuclear biomimetic clusters may restore the electronic and redox features of the wild-type H-cluster.
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