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The biosynthesis of the active site of the [FeFe]-hydrogenases (HydA1), the H-cluster, is of interest because these enzymes are highly efficient catalysts for the oxidation and production of H2. The biosynthesis of the [2Fe]H subcluster of the H-cluster proceeds from simple precursors, which are processed by three maturases: HydG, HydE, and HydF. Previous studies established that HydG produces an Fe(CO)2(CN) adduct of cysteine, which is the substrate for HydE. In this work, we show that by using the synthetic cluster [Fe2(μ-SH)2(CN)2(CO)4]2- active HydA1 can be biosynthesized without maturases HydG and HydE.

The H-cluster of [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase consists of a [4Fe]H subcluster linked by the sulfur of a cysteine residue to an organometallic [2Fe]H subcluster that utilizes terminal CO and CN ligands to each Fe along with a bridging CO and a bridging SCH2NHCH2S azadithiolate (adt) to catalyze proton reduction or hydrogen oxidation. Three Fe-S "maturase" proteins, HydE, HydF, and HydG, are responsible for the biosynthesis of the [2Fe]H subcluster and its incorporation into the hydrogenase enzyme to form this catalytically active H-cluster. We have proposed that HydG is a bifunctional enzyme that uses S-adenosylmethione (SAM) bound to a [4Fe-4S] cluster to lyse tyrosine via a transient 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical to produce CO and CN ligands to a unique cysteine-chelated Fe(II) that is linked to a second [4Fe-4S] cluster via the cysteine sulfur. In this "synthon model", after two cycles of tyrosine lysis, the product of HydG is completed: a [Fe(CN)(CO)2(cysteinate)]- organometallic unit that is vectored directly into the synthesis of the [2Fe]H sub-cluster. However our HydG-centric synthon model is not universally accepted, so further validation is important. In this Frontiers article, we discuss recent results using a synthetic "Syn-B" complex that donates [Fe(CN)(CO)2(cysteinate)]- units that match our proposed HydG product. Can Syn-B activate hydrogenase in the absence of HydG and its tyrosine substrate? If so, since Syn-B can be synthesized with specific magnetic nuclear isotopes and with chemical substitutions, its use could allow its enzymatic conversions on the route to the H-cluster to be monitored and modeled in fresh detail.

[FeFe]-hydrogenases use a unique organometallic complex, termed the H cluster, to reversibly convert H2 into protons and low-potential electrons. It can be best described as a [Fe4S4] cluster coupled to a unique [2Fe]H center where the reaction actually takes place. The latter corresponds to two iron atoms, each of which is bound by one CN- ligand and one CO ligand. The two iron atoms are connected by a unique azadithiolate molecule (-S-CH2-NH-CH2-S-) and an additional bridging CO. This [2Fe]H center is built stepwise thanks to the well-orchestrated action of maturating enzymes that belong to the Hyd machinery. Among them, HydG converts l-tyrosine into CO and CN- to produce a unique l-cysteine-Fe(CO)2CN species termed complex-B. Very recently, HydE was shown to perform radical-based chemistry using synthetic complex-B as a substrate. Here we report the high-resolution crystal structure that establishes the identity of the complex-B-bound HydE. By triggering the reaction prior to crystallization, we trapped a new five-coordinate Fe species, supporting the proposal that HydE performs complex modifications of complex-B to produce a monomeric "SFe(CO)2CN" precursor to the [2Fe]H center. Substrate access, product release, and intermediate transfer are also discussed.

Numerous redox transformations that are essential to life are catalyzed by metalloenzymes that feature Earth-abundant metals. In contrast, platinum-group metals have been the cornerstone of many industrial catalytic reactions for decades, providing high activity, thermal stability, and tolerance to chemical poisons. We assert that nature's blueprint provides the fundamental principles for vastly expanding the use of abundant metals in catalysis. We highlight the key physical properties of abundant metals that distinguish them from precious metals, and we look to nature to understand how the inherent attributes of abundant metals can be embraced to produce highly efficient catalysts for reactions crucial to the sustainable production and transformation of fuels and chemicals.

The H-cluster of [FeFe]-hydrogenase consists of a [4Fe-4S]H-subcluster linked by a cysteinyl bridge to a unique organometallic [2Fe]H-subcluster assigned as the site of interconversion between protons and molecular hydrogen. This [2Fe]H-subcluster is assembled by a set of Fe-S maturase enzymes HydG, HydE and HydF. Here we show that the HydG product [FeII(Cys)(CO)2(CN)] synthon is the substrate of the radical SAM enzyme HydE, with the generated 5'-deoxyadenosyl radical attacking the cysteine S to form a C5'-S bond concomitant with reduction of the central low-spin Fe(II) to the Fe(I) oxidation state. This leads to the cleavage of the cysteine C3-S bond, producing a mononuclear [FeI(CO)2(CN)S] species that serves as the precursor to the dinuclear Fe(I)Fe(I) center of the [2Fe]H-subcluster. This work unveils the role played by HydE in the enzymatic assembly of the H-cluster and expands the scope of radical SAM enzyme chemistry.

The enzyme [FeFe]-hydrogenase (HydA1) contains a unique 6-iron cofactor, the H-cluster, that has unusual ligands to an Fe-Fe binuclear subcluster: CN-, CO, and an azadithiolate (adt) ligand that provides 2 S bridges between the 2 Fe atoms. In cells, the H-cluster is assembled by a collection of 3 maturases: HydE and HydF, whose roles aren't fully understood, and HydG, which has been shown to construct a [Fe(Cys)(CO)2(CN)] organometallic precursor to the binuclear cluster. Here, we report the in vitro assembly of the H-cluster in the absence of HydG, which is functionally replaced by adding a synthetic [Fe(Cys)(CO)2(CN)] carrier in the maturation reaction. The synthetic carrier and the HydG-generated analog exhibit similar infrared spectra. The carrier allows HydG-free maturation to HydA1, whose activity matches that of the native enzyme. Maturation with 13CN-containing carrier affords 13CN-labeled enzyme as verified by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)/electron nuclear double-resonance spectra. This synthetic surrogate approach complements existing biochemical strategies and greatly facilitates the understanding of pathways involved in the assembly of the H-cluster. As an immediate demonstration, we clarify that Cys is not the source of the carbon and nitrogen atoms in the adt ligand using pulse EPR to target the magnetic couplings introduced via a 13C3,15N-Cys-labeled synthetic carrier. Parallel mass-spectrometry experiments show that the Cys backbone is converted to pyruvate, consistent with a cysteine role in donating S in forming the adt bridge. This mechanistic scenario is confirmed via maturation with a seleno-Cys carrier to form HydA1-Se, where the incorporation of Se was characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy.

Cubic cage compounds composed of Co-CN-Ru linkages have been prepared which illustrate the following features: (i) new motifs for alkali metal ion complexation (i.e., cationic receptors for cations), (ii) a new family of triaza-metalloligands, and (iii) a double box-like cage. The cages are synthesized by the condensation of [[CpCo[(CN).sub.3]].sup.-] and [[Cp*Ru[(NCMe).sub.3]].sup.+] (cyclopentadienyl, Cp; pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, Cp*) the presence of [Cs.sup.+]. The species [{Cs[subset]([[CpCo[(CN).sub.3]].sub.4][[Cp*Ru].sub.4]).sup.+] and {Cs[subset][{[[CpCo[(CN).sub.3]].sub.4][[Cp*Ru].sub.3][Cp*Rh]).sup.2+] illustrate the box-completion reaction Cs [subset] [Co.sub.4][Ru.sub.3] + M (M = Cp*[Rh.sup.2+], Cp*[Ru.sup.+]). With the naked ion precursors [[Na[(NCMe).sub.6]].sup.+] and [[Fe[(NCMe).sub.6]].sup.2+], the box-completion reactions afforded [{Na[{Cs[subset][[CpCo[(CN).sub.3]].sub.4][[Cp*Ru].sub.3]]}.sub.2]}.sup.+] and [{Fe[{Cs[subset] [[CpCo[(CN).sub.3]].sub.4][[Cp*Ru].sub.3]]}.sub.2]}.sup.2+]. These cages provide the first examples, to our knowledge, of the double-box motif.

An examination of nonlinear absorption and nonlinear refraction of solutions of a series of sulfur-rich molecules and anions confirmed that species containing large amounts of highly polarized sulfur would exhibit refracting properties in the absence of nonlinear absorption. Two structural families were identified, with particularly promising optical properties, including the Zn-S-SpH clusters and condensed dithiocarbonates. Results showed that high figures of merit can be achieved without the undesirable effects of linear absorption.

The enzyme [FeFe]-hydrogenase (HydA1) contains a unique 6-iron cofactor, the H-cluster, that has unusual ligands to an Fe-Fe binuclear subcluster: CN-, CO, and an azadithiolate (adt) ligand that provides 2 S bridges between the 2 Fe atoms. In cells, the H-cluster is assembled by a collection of 3 maturases: HydE and HydF, whose roles aren't fully understood, and HydG, which has been shown to construct a [Fe(Cys)(CO)2(CN)] organometallic precursor to the binuclear cluster. Here, we report the in vitro assembly of the H-cluster in the absence of HydG, which is functionally replaced by adding a synthetic [Fe(Cys)(CO)2(CN)] carrier in the maturation reaction. The synthetic carrier and the HydG-generated analog exhibit similar infrared spectra. The carrier allows HydG-free maturation to HydA1, whose activity matches that of the native enzyme. Maturation with 13CN-containing carrier affords 13CN-labeled enzyme as verified by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR)/electron nuclear double-resonance spectra. This synthetic surrogate approach complements existing biochemical strategies and greatly facilitates the understanding of pathways involved in the assembly of the H-cluster. As an immediate demonstration, we clarify that Cys is not the source of the carbon and nitrogen atoms in the adt ligand using pulse EPR to target the magnetic couplings introduced via a 13C3,15N-Cys-labeled synthetic carrier. Parallel mass-spectrometry experiments show that the Cys backbone is converted to pyruvate, consistent with a cysteine role in donating S in forming the adt bridge. This mechanistic scenario is confirmed via maturation with a seleno-Cys carrier to form HydA1-Se, where the incorporation of Se was characterized by extended X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The molecular box [CpCo(CN)3]4[Cp*Ru]4 (Co4Ru4) reacts readily with a variety of monocations to form M⊂Co4Ru4+ (M=K+, Cs+, Rb+). Ion competition experiments, monitored by ESI-MS, show that the molecular box binds the smaller K+ more rapidly than Cs+, but that thermodynamically Co4Ru4 prefers the larger ion. The rates of ion-insertion for K+ and Cs+ into Co4Ru4 were found to qualitatively follow second order kinetics with K+, 300 M−1 s−1 and Cs+, 36 M−1 s−1. The ratio kK/kCs qualitatively matched the ESI-MS results from ion competition experiments. The rates of ion-insertion into Co4Ru4 were found to depend on the counter anions. In particular, RbBF4 reacted with Co4Ru4 more slowly than did RbOTf. The slower rates allowed us to establish second order kinetics. 1H NMR studies reveal that the Cp signal for Co4Ru4 is very sensitive to the presence of entering ions, e.g., Rb+, whereas the corresponding Cp signal for Rb⊂Co4Ru4+ was insensitive to the presence of Rb+. The molecular structures of [Co4Ru4] · 6MeCN, [K⊂Co4Ru4]BF4 · 7MeCN, [Cs⊂Co4Ru4]BF4 · 6MeCN and [Tl⊂Co4Ru4]BF4 · 6MeCN, determined by X-ray diffraction, showed that although the compounds crystallized in the same space group I23, a correlation exists between the Ru–N/Co–C bond distances and the size of the interstitial ion. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Examines the importance of the design of molecular containers in nanotechnology. Stereochemistry of molecular containers; Incorporation of organic motifs into rigid frameworks; Hybridization of organometallic chemistry.

[FeFe]-hydrogenases employ a catalytic H-cluster, consisting of a [4Fe-4S] H cluster linked to a [2Fe] H subcluster with CO, CN - ligands, and an azadithiolate bridge, which mediates the rapid redox interconversion of H + and H 2 . In the biosynthesis of this H-cluster active site, the radical S -adenosyl-l-methionine (radical SAM, RS) enzyme HydG plays the crucial role of generating an organometallic [Fe(II)(CN)(CO) 2 (cysteinate)] - product that is en route to forming the H-cluster. Here, we report direct observation of this diamagnetic organometallic Fe(II) complex through Mössbauer spectroscopy, revealing an isomer shift of δ = 0.10 mm s -1 and quadrupole splitting of Δ E Q = 0.66 mm s -1 . These Mössbauer values are a change from the starting values of δ = 1.15 mm s -1 and Δ E for the ferrous "dangler" Fe in HydG. These values of the observed product complex B are in good agreement with Mössbauer parameters for the low-spin Fe Q = 3.23 mm s -1 Fe Syn-B, which we report here. These results highlight the essential role that HydG plays in converting a resting-state high-spin Fe(II) to a low-spin organometallic Fe(II) product that can be transferred to the downstream maturase enzymes.2+ ions in synthetic analogues, such as 57 Fe Syn-B, which we report here. These results highlight the essential role that HydG plays in converting a resting-state high-spin Fe(II) to a low-spin organometallic Fe(II) product that can be transferred to the downstream maturase enzymes.

The title complex, [Fe2(C8H12S3)(CO)6] or [{Fe(CO)3}2(μ-L)] [L = 3,3-dimethyl-4-(propan-2-yl-idene)thietane-2,2-bis-(thiol-ato)], consists of two Fe(CO)3 moieties double-bridged by a di-thiol-ate ligand. Each of the two Fe(I) atoms has a distorted anti-prismatic coordination environment consisting of three carbonyl groups, two S atoms of the di-thiol-ate ligand and the neighboring Fe(I) atom [Fe-Fe = 2.4921 (4) Å]. Weak C-H⋯O inter-molecular inter-actions result in the formation of dimers. This is the second crystal structure reported with the 3,3-dimethyl-4-(propan-2-yl-idene)thietane-2,2-bis-(thiol-ate) ligand and the first in which it bridges two metal atoms.

The mononuclear title complex, [Fe(CF3O3S)(C5H7O2)2(C4H8O)] or [Fe(acac)2(OTf)(THF)] (acac = acetyl-acetonate; OTf = tri-fluoro-methane-sulfon-ate; THF = tetrahydrofuran), (I), consists of one six-coordinate Fe(3+) atom in a slightly distorted octa-hedral environment [Fe-O bond-length range = 1.9517 (11)-2.0781 (11) Å]. The triflate ligand was found to be disordered over two sets of sites, with a site-occupancy ratio of 0.622 (16):0.378 (16). Weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O and C-H⋯F hydrogen-bonding inter-actions generate a two-dimensional supra-molecular structure lying parallel to (100). This is only the second crystal structure reported of a mononuclear bis-(acetyl-acetonato)iron(III) complex.

The dinuclear title complex, [Co2(C5H7O2)4(μ-OH)2] or [Co(acac)2(μ-OH)]2, where acac is acetyl-acetonate, is centrosymmetric with half of the mol-ecule per asymmetric unit. The mol-ecular structure is a dimer of octa-hedrally coordinated Co(III) atoms with four O atoms from two chelating acac ligands and two O atoms from bridging hydroxide ligands. The crystal packing features weak C-H⋯O inter-actions between neighboring mol-ecules, leading to the formation of chains normal to the ac plane. The hydroxide H atoms are not involved in hydrogen bonding because of the bulky acac ligands. This is the first crystal structure reported of a dimeric transition metal bis-acac complex with OH(-) as the bridging group.

The title complex, [Fe4(C5H7O2)4(CH3O)6Cl2] or [Fe4(acac)4(μ2-OMe)4(μ3-OMe)2Cl2] (acac = acetyl-acetonate), crystallizes in the ortho-rhom-bic Pbca space group with one half of the mol-ecule per asymmetric unit, the other half being completed by inversion symmetry. The core structure consists of a face-sharing double pseudo-cubane entity with two opposite corners missing. Weak C-H⋯Cl inter-molecular inter-actions result in a two-dimensional layered structure parallel to the ac plane.

Cubic cage compounds composed of Co-CN-Ru linkages have been prepared which illustrate the following features: (i) new motifs for alkali metal ion complexation (i.e., cationic receptors for cations), (ii) a new family of triaza-metalloligands, and (iii) a double box-like cage. The cages are synthesized by the condensation of [CpCo(CN)(3)](-) and [Cp*Ru(NCMe)(3)](+) (cyclopentadienyl, Cp; pentamethylcyclopentadienyl, Cp*) the presence of Cs(+). The species [Cs subset[[CpCo(CN)(3)](4)[Cp*Ru](4)](+) and [Cs subset[[CpCo(CN)(3)](4)[Cp*Ru](3)[Cp*Rh]](2+) illustrate the box-completion reaction Cs subset Co(4)Ru(3) + M (M = Cp*Rh(2+), Cp*Ru(+)). With the naked ion precursors [Na(NCMe)(6)](+) and [Fe(NCMe)(6)](2+), the box-completion reactions afforded [Na[Cs subset[CpCo(CN)(3)](4)[Cp*Ru](3)]](2)](+) and [Fe[Cs subset [CpCo(CN)(3)](4)[Cp*Ru](3)]](2)](2+). These cages provide the first examples, to our knowledge, of the double-box motif.