Tao-Hung Yen

Electron delocalization from the fullerene attachment to the diiron core within the active-site mimics of [FeFe]hydrogenase.

Attachment of the redox-active C(60)(H)PPh(2) group modulates the electronic structure of the Fe(2) core in [(μ-bdt)Fe(2)(CO)(5)(C(60)(H)PPh(2))]. The neutral complex is characterized by X-ray crystallography, IR, NMR spectroscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. When it is reduced by one electron, the spectroscopic and density functional theory results indicate that the Fe(2) core is partially spin-populated. In the doubly reduced species, extensive electron communication occurs between the reduced fullerene unit and the Fe(2) centers as displayed in the spin-density plot. The results suggest that the [4Fe4S] cluster within the H cluster provides an essential role in terms of the electronic factor.

Secondary coordination sphere interactions within the biomimetic iron azadithiolate complexes related to Fe-only hydrogenase: dynamic measure of electron density about the Fe sites.

A series of iron azadithiolate complexes possessing an intramolecular secondary coordination sphere interaction and an ability to reduce HOAc at the potential near the first electron-transfer process are reported. A unique structural feature in which the aza nitrogen has its lone pair point toward the apical carbonyl carbon is observed in [Fe(2)(mu-S(CH(2))(2)NR(CH(2))(2)S)(CO)(6-x)L(x)](2) (R = (n)Pr, x = 0, 1a; R = (i)Pr, x = 0, 1b; R = (n)Pr, L = PPh(3), x = 1, 2; R = (n)Pr, L = P(n)Bu(3), x = 1, 3) as biomimetic models of the active site of Fe-only hydrogenase. The presence of this weak N...C(CO(ap)) interaction provides electronic perturbation at the Fe center. The distance of the N...C(CO(ap)) contact is 3.497 A in 1a. It increases by 0.455 A in 2 when electronic density of the Fe site is slightly enriched by a weak sigma-donating ligand, PPh(3). A longer distance (4.040 A) is observed for the P(n)Bu(3) derivative, 3. This N...C(CO(ap)) distance is thus a dynamic measure of electronic nature of the Fe(2) core. Variation of electronic richness within the Fe(2) moiety among the complexes reflects on their electrochemical response. Reduction of 2 is recorded at the potential of -2.17 V, which is 270 mV more negative than that of 1. Complex 3 requires additional 150 mV for the same reduction. Such cathodic shift results from CO substitution by phosphines. Electrocatalytic hydrogen production from HOAc by both kinds of complexes (all-CO and phosphine-substituted species) requires the potential close to that for reduction of the parent molecules in the absence of acids. The catalytic mechanism of 1a is proposed to involve proton uptake at the Fe(0)Fe(I) redox level instead of the Fe(0)Fe(0) level. This result is the first observation among the all-CO complexes with respect to electrocatalysis of HOAc.

Utilization of Non-Innocent Redox Ligands in [FeFe] Hydrogenase Modeling for Hydrogen Production

Biomimetic diiron complexes bearing redox non-innocent ligands are discussed in this review. The complexes are synthesized to model the active site of [FeFe] hydrogenase in order to elucidate the catalytic mechanism of H2 evolution and design superior artificial catalysts. Employment of the redox active ligands serves an important factor to modulate electronic structure of the Fe2 core as the similar functionality exerted by the [4Fe4S] cofactor within the H-cluster. Different types of redox active ligands are summarized. The influence of their ligation is observable in spectroscopy as well as cyclic voltammetry, and studied by theoretical calculation. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

Design of Biomimetic Models Related to the Active Sites of Fe-Only Hydrogenase

Fe-only hydrogenase is a metalloenzyme that is found in a variety of organisms such as acetogenic, photosynthetic, nitrogen-fixing, methanogenic and sulfate reducing bacteria (Adams, 1990; Vignais & Billoud, 2007). It plays an important role on energy cycling in the biological systems. Fe-only hydrogenase can either metabolize hydrogen molecules to produce reducing equivalents or store reducing power in the format of molecular hydrogen (Fontecilla-Camps et al., 2007). The most intriguing part of Fe-only hydrogenase is its high efficiency (6 × 103 s-1) in H2 production at a mild potential (-0.1 to -0.5 V vs NHC) (Holm et al., 1996). Understanding mechanism of enzymatic hydrogen production will facilitate design of better biomimetic models of Fe-only hydrogenase for substitutes to expensive platinum working electrodes used in industrial hydrogen production (Cammack et al., 2001; Vincent et al., 2007).