Natural Organometallic Catalytic Sites: H2-Activating Metalloenzymes

国家科学基金会化学部的无机，生物无机和有机化学计划支持Marcetta Darensbourg博士（德克萨斯州A M化学系）的工作，旨在通过使用合成模型系统描绘Ni/Fe和Fe-唯一氢化酶的结构/功能关系。具体而言，PI（i）将开发羰基铁化合物中含胺S-S桥的合成路线，（ii）将使用官能化的二膦配体作为氢化酶活性位点的“模型的模型”，（iii）将探索具有官能化S-S桥的（-SR ′ S）Fe 2（CO）6化合物的氢活化化学，及（iv）将探索与氢化酶活性位簇合成相关的有机金属化学。Darensbourg教授指导的学生准备为国家的科学基础设施做出真实的重大贡献。他们的工作将对生物化学和化学界产生持久的影响。研究结果将有助于设计一种更便宜的工业过程来生产氢气，这是一种潜在的清洁能源。

The Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry Program of the Division of Chemistry, National Science Foundation, supports the work of Dr. Marcetta Darensbourg (Department of Chemistry at Texas A&M) directed at delineating structure/function relationships for Ni/Fe and Fe-only hydrogenase enzymes through the use of synthetic model systems. Specifically, the PI (i) will develop synthetic routes to amine-containing S--S bridges in iron carbonyl compounds, (ii) will use functionalized diphosphine ligands as "models of the models" for the hydrogenase active site, (iii) will explore the hydrogen activation chemistry of (-SR'S)Fe2(CO)6 compounds that possess a functionalized S--S bridge, and (iv) will explore the organometallic chemistry relevant to active site cluster synthesis for the hydrogenase enzyme.Students mentored by Prof. Darensbourg are poised to make a real and significant contribution to the scientific infrastructure of the country. Their work will have a lasting impact on both the biochemical and chemical communities. The results will help in initiating efforts to design a cheaper industrial process to produce hydrogen, a potential clean source of energy.