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Hemoglobin and myoglobin are oxygen-binding proteins with S = 0 heme {FeO2}8 active sites. The electronic structure of these sites has been the subject of much debate. This study utilizes Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and 1s2p resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) to study oxyhemoglobin and a related heme {FeO2}8 model compound, [(pfp)Fe(1-MeIm)(O2)] (pfp = meso-tetra(α,α,α,α-o-pivalamido-phenyl)porphyrin, or TpivPP, 1- MeIm = 1-methylimidazole) (pfpO2), which was previously analyzed using L-edge XAS. The K-edge XAS and RIXS data of pfpO2 and oxyhemoglobin are compared with the data for low-spin FeII and FeIII [Fe(tpp)(Im)2]0/+ (tpp = tetra-phenyl porphyrin) compounds, which serve as heme references. The X-ray data show that pfpO2 is similar to FeII, while oxyhemoglobin is qualitatively similar to FeIII, but with significant quantitative differences. Density-functional theory (DFT) calculations show that the difference between pfpO2 and oxyhemoglobin is due to a distal histidine H bond to O2 and the less hydrophobic environment in the protein, which lead to more backbonding into the O2. A valence bond configuration interaction multiplet model is used to analyze the RIXS data and show that pfpO2 is dominantly FeII with 6-8% FeIII character, while oxyhemoglobin has a very mixed wave function that has 50-77% FeIII character and a partially polarized Fe-O2 π-bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biosynthesis of the tryptophan tryptophylquinone (TTQ) cofactor activates the enzyme methylamine dehydrogenase. The diheme enzyme MauG catalyzes O-atom insertion and cross-linking of two Trp residues to complete TTQ synthesis. Solution optical and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies have indicated that the reactive form of MauG during turnover is an unusual bisFe(IV) intermediate, which has been formulated as a His-ligated ferryl heme [Fe(IV)=O] (heme A), and an Fe(IV) heme with an atypical His/Tyr ligation (heme B). In this study, Fe K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and extended X-ray absorption fine structure studies have been combined with density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT methods to solve the geometric and electronic structures of each heme site in the MauG bisFe(IV) redox state. The ferryl heme site (heme A) is compared with the well-characterized compound I intermediate of cytochrome c peroxidase. Heme B is unprecedented in biology, and is shown to have a six-coordinate, S = 1 environment, with a short (1.85-Å) Fe-O(Tyr) bond. Experimentally calibrated DFT calculations are used to reveal a strong covalent interaction between the Fe and the O(Tyr) ligand of heme B in the high-valence form. A large change in the Fe-O(Tyr) bond distance on going from Fe(II) (2.02 Å) to Fe(III) (1.89 Å) to Fe(IV) (1.85 Å) signifies increasing localization of spin density on the tyrosinate ligand upon sequential oxidation of heme B to Fe(IV). As such, O(Tyr) plays an active role in attaining and stabilizing the MauG bisFe(IV) redox state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A previous method for mapping the electron spin distribution in blue copper proteins by paramagnetic nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation (Hansen DF, Led JJ, 2004, J Am Chem Soc 126:1247–1253) suggested that the blue copper site of plastocyanin from Anabaena variabilis ( A.v.) is less covalent than those found for other plastocyanins by other experimental methods, such as X-ray absorption spectroscopy. Here, a detailed spectroscopic study revealed that the electronic structure of A.v. plastocyanin is similar to those of other plastocyanins. Therefore, the NMR approach was reinvestigated using a more accurate geometric structure as the basis for the mapping, in contrast to the previous approach, as well as a more complete spin distribution model including Gaussian-type natural atomic orbitals instead of Slater-type hydrogen-like atomic orbitals. The refinement results in a good agreement between the electron spin density derived from paramagnetic NMR and the electronic structure description obtained by the other experimental methods. The refined approach was evaluated against density functional theory (DFT) calculations on a model complex of the metal site of plastocyanin in the crystal phase. In general, the agreement between the experimental paramagnetic relaxation rates and the corresponding rates obtained by the DFT calculations is good. Small deviations are attributed to minor differences between the solution structure and the crystal structure outside the first coordination sphere. Overall, the refined approach provides a complementary experimental method for determining the electronic structure of paramagnetic metalloproteins, provided that an accurate geometric structure is available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continual advancements in the development of synchrotron radiation sources have resulted in X-ray based spectroscopic techniques capable of probing the electronic and structural properties of numerous systems. This review gives an overview of the application of metal K-edge and L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), as well as Kα resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS), to the study of electronic structure in transition metal sites with emphasis on experimentally quantifying 3d orbital covalency. The specific sensitivities of K-edge XAS, L-edge XAS, and RIXS are discussed emphasizing the complementary nature of the methods. L-edge XAS and RIXS are sensitive to mixing between 3d orbitals and ligand valence orbitals, and to the differential orbital covalency (DOC), that is, the difference in the covalencies for different symmetry sets of the d orbitals. Both L-edge XAS and RIXS are highly sensitive to and enable separation of σ and π donor bonding and π back bonding contributions to bonding. Applying ligand field multiplet simulations, including charge transfer via valence bond configuration interactions, DOC can be obtained for direct comparison with density functional theory calculations and to understand chemical trends. The application of RIXS as a probe of frontier molecular orbitals in a heme enzyme demonstrates the potential of this method for the study of metal sites in highly covalent coordination sites in bioinorganic chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

NO is a classic non-innocent ligand, and iron nitrosyls can have different electronic structure descriptions depending on their spin state and coordination environment. These highly covalent ligands are found in metalloproteins and are also used as models for Fe-O2 systems. This study utilizes iron L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), interpreted using a valence bond configuration interaction multiplet model, to directly experimentally probe the electronic structure of the S = 0 {FeNO}6 compound [Fe(PaPy3)NO]2+ (PaPy3 = N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine-N-ethyl-2-pyridine-2-carboxamide) and the S = 0 [Fe(PaPy3)CO]+ reference compound. This method allows separation of the σ-donation and π-acceptor interactions of the ligand through ligand-to-metal and metal-to-ligand charge-transfer mixing pathways. The analysis shows that the {FeNO}6 electronic structure is best described as FeIII-NO(neutral), with no localized electron in an NO π* orbital or electron hole in an Fe dπ orbital. This delocalization comes from the large energy gap between the Fe-NO π-bonding and antibonding molecular orbitals relative to the exchange interactions between electrons in these orbitals. This study demonstrates the utility of L-edge XAS in experimentally defining highly delocalized electronic structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability of the cellular prion protein (PrPC) to bind copper in vivo points to a physiological role for PrPC in copper transport. Six copper binding sites have been identified in the nonstructured N-terminal region of human PrPC. Among these sites, the His111 site is unique in that it contains a MKHM motif that would confer interesting CuI and CuII binding properties. We have evaluated CuI coordination to the PrP(106-115) fragment of the human PrP protein, using NMR and X-ray absorption spectroscopies and electronic structure calculations. We find that Met109 and Met112 play an important role in anchoring this metal ion. CuI coordination to His111 is pH-dependent: at pH >8, 2N1O1S species are formed with one Met ligand; in the range of pH 5-8, both methionine (Met) residues bind to CuI, forming a 1N1O2S species, where N is from His111 and O is from a backbone carbonyl or a water molecule; at pH <5, only the two Met residues remain coordinated. Thus, even upon drastic changes in the chemical environment, such as those occurring during endocytosis of PrPC (decreased pH and a reducing potential), the two Met residues in the MKHM motif enable PrPC to maintain the bound CuI ions, consistent with a copper transport function for this protein. We also find that the physiologically relevant CuI-1N1O2S species activates dioxygen via an inner-sphere mechanism, likely involving the formation of a copper(II) superoxide complex. In this process, the Met residues are partially oxidized to sulfoxide; this ability to scavenge superoxide may play a role in the proposed antioxidant properties of PrPC. This study provides further insight into the CuI coordination properties of His111 in human PrPC and the molecular mechanism of oxygen activation by this site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been used to determine the electronic structures of two complexes [MolvO(bdt)2]2- and [Movl0 2(bdt)2]2- (bdt = benzene-1,2-dithiolate(2—)) that relate to the reduced and oxidized forms of sulfite oxidase (SO). These are compared with those of previously studied dimethyl sulfoxide reductase (DMSOr) models. DFT calculations supported by the data are extended to evaluate the reaction coordinate for oxo transfer to a phosphite ester substrate. Three possible transition states are found with the one at lowest energy, stabilized by a P—S interaction, in good agreement with experimental kinetics data. Comparison of both oxo transfer reactions shows that in DMSOr, where the oxo is transferred from the substrate to the metal ion, the oxo transfer induces electron transfer, while in SO, where the oxo transfer is from the metal site to the substrate, the electron transfer initiates oxo transfer. This difference in reactivity is related to the difference in frontier molecular orbitals (FMO) of the metal—oxo and substrate—oxo bonds. Finally, these experimentally related calculations are extended to oxo transfer by sulfite oxidase. The presence of only one dithiolene at the enzyme active site selectively activates the equatorial oxo for transfer, and allows facile structural reorganization during turnover. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from Kα resonant inelastic X-ray scattering (RIXS) have been used to extract electronic structure information, i.e., the covalency of metal–ligand bonds, for four iron complexes using an experimentally based theoretical model. Kα RIXS involves resonant 1s→3d excitation and detection of the 2p→1s (Kα) emission. This two-photon process reaches similar final states as single-photon L-edge (2p→3d) X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS), but involves only hard X-rays and can therefore be used to get high-resolution L-edge-like spectra for metal proteins, solution catalysts and their intermediates. To analyze the information content of Kα RIXS spectra, data have been collected for four characteristic σ-donor and π-back-donation complexes: ferrous tacn [FeII(tacn)2]Br2, ferrocyanide [FeII(CN)6]K4, ferric tacn [FeIII(tacn)2]Br3 and ferricyanide [FeIII(CN)6]K3. From these spectra metal–ligand covalencies can be extracted using a charge-transfer multiplet model, without previous information from the L-edge XAS experiment. A direct comparison of L-edge XAS and Kα RIXS spectra show that the latter reaches additional final states, e.g., when exciting into the eg (σ*) orbitals, and the splitting between final states of different symmetry provides an extra dimension that makes Kα RIXS a more sensitive probe of σ-bonding. Another key difference between L-edge XAS and Kα RIXS is the π-back-bonding features in ferro- and ferricyanide that are significantly more intense in L-edge XAS compared to Kα RIXS. This shows that two methods are complementary in assigning electronic structure. The Kα RIXS approach can thus be used as a stand-alone method, in combination with L-edge XAS for strongly covalent systems that are difficult to probe by UV/vis spectroscopy, or as an extension to conventional absorption spectroscopy for a wide range of transition metal enzymes and catalysts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multicopper oxidases (MCOs) carry out the most energy efficient reduction of O2 to H2O known, i.e., with the lowest overpotential. This four-electron process requires an electron mediating type 1 (T1) Cu site and an oxygen reducing trinuclear Cu cluster (TNC), consisting of a binuclear type 3 (T3)- and a mononuclear type 2 (T2) Cu center. The rate-determining step in O2 reduction is the first two-electron transfer from one of the T3 Cu’s (T3β) and the T2 Cu, forming a bridged peroxide intermediate (PI). This reaction has been investigated in T3β Cu variants of the Fet3p, where a first shell His ligand is mutated to Glu or Gln. This converts the fast two-electron reaction of the wild-type (WT) enzyme to a slow one-electron oxidation of the TNC. Both variants initially react to form a common T3β Cu(II) intermediate that converts to the Glu or Gln bound resting state. From spectroscopic evaluation, the nonmutated His ligands coordinate linearly to the T3β Cu in the reduced TNCs in the two variants, in contrast to the trigonal arrangement observed in the WT enzyme. This structural perturbation is found to significantly alter the electronic structure of the reduced TNC, which is no longer capable of rapidly transferring two electrons to the two perpendicular half occupied π*-orbitals of O2, in contrast to the WT enzyme. This study provides new insight into the geometric and electronic structure requirements of a fully functional TNC for the rate determining two-electron reduction of O2 in the MCOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Certain side-on peroxo-dicopper(II) species with particularly low νO-O (710-730 cm-1) have been found in equilibrium with their bis-μ-oxo-dicopper(III) isomer. An issue is whether such side-on peroxo bridges are further activated for O-O cleavage. In a previous study (Liang, H.-C., et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc.2002, 124, 4170), we showed that oxygenation of the three-coordinate complex [CuI(MeAN)]+ (MeAN = N-methyl-N,N-bis[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]amine) leads to a low-temperature stable [{CuII(MeAN)}2(μ-η2:η2-O22-)]2+ peroxo species with low νO-O (721 cm-1), as characterized by UV-vis absorption and resonance Raman (rR) spectroscopies. Here, this complex has been crystallized as its SbF6- salt, and an X-ray structure indicates the presence of an unusually long O-O bond (1.540(5) Å) consistent with the low νO-O. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure and rR spectroscopic and reactivity studies indicate the exclusive formation of [{CuII(MeAN)}2(μ-η2:η2-O22-)]2+ without any bis-μ-oxo-dicopper(III) isomer present. This is the first structure of a side-on peroxo-dicopper(II) species with a significantly long and weak O-O bond. DFT calculations show that the weak O-O bond results from strong σ donation from the MeAN ligand to Cu that is compensated by a decrease in the extent of peroxo to Cu charge transfer. Importantly, the weak O-O bond does not reflect an increase in backbonding into the σ* orbital of the peroxide. Thus, although the O-O bond is unusually weak, this structure is not further activated for reductive cleavage to form a reactive bis-μ-oxo dicopper(III) species. These results highlight the necessity of understanding electronic structure changes associated with spectral changes for correlations to reactivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is a direct experimental probe of metal ion electronic structure as the pre-edge energy reflects its oxidation state, and the energy splitting pattern of the pre-edge transitions reflects its spin state. The combination of sulfur K-edge XAS and density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicates that the electronic structures of {FeNO}7 (S = 3/2) (SMe2N4(tren)Fe(NO), complex I) and {FeNO}7 (S = 1/2) ((bme-daco)Fe(NO), complex II) are FeIII(S = 5/2)-NO-(S = 1) and FeIII(S = 3/2)-NO-(S = 1), respectively. When an axial ligand is computationally added to complex II, the electronic structure becomes FeII(S = 0)-NO•(S = 1/2). These studies demonstrate how the ligand field of the Fe center defines its spin state and thus changes the electron exchange, an important factor in determining the electron distribution over {FeNO}7 and {FeO2}8 sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nature of the ligand is an important aspect of controlling the structure and reactivity in coordination chemistry. In connection with our study of home—copper—oxygen reactivity relevant to cytochrome c oxidase dioxygen-reduction chemistry, we compare the molecular and electronic structures of two high-spin heme—peroxo—copper [FeIIIO22-CuII] complexes containing N4 tetradentate (1) or N3 tridentate (2) copper ligands. Combining previously reported and new resonance Raman and EXAFS data coupled to density functional theory calculations, we report a geometric structure and mom complete electronic description of the high-spin heme—peroxo—copper complexes 1 and 2, which establish μ-(O22-) side-on to the FeIII and end-on to CuII (μ-η2:η1 ) binding for the complex 1 but side-on/side-on (μ-η2:η2 ) μ-peroxo coordination for the complex 2. We also compare and summarize the differences and similarities of these two complexes in their reactivity toward CO, PPh3, acid, and phenols. The comparison of a new X-ray structure of μ-oxo complex 2a with the previously reported 1a X-ray structure, two thermal decomposition products respectively of 2 and 1, reveals a considerable difference in the Fe—C—Cu angle between the two μ-oxo complexes (∠Fe—O—Cu = 178.2° in 1a and ∠Fe—O—Cu = 149.5° in 2a). The reaction of 2 with 1 equiv of an exogenous nitrogen-donor axial base leads to the formation of a distinctive low-temperature-stable, low—spin heme—dioxygen—copper complex (2b), but under the same conditions, the addition of an axial base to 1 leads to the dissociation of the heme—peroxo—copper assembly and the release of O2. 2b reacts with phenols performing H-atom (e- + H+) abstraction resulting inO—O bond cleavage and the formation of high-valent ferryl [FeIV=0] complex (2c). The nature of 2c was confirmed by a comparison of its spectroscopic features and reactivity with those of an independently prepared ferryl complex. The phenoxyl radical generated by the H-atom abstraction was either (1) directly detected by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy using phenols that produce stable radicals or (2) indirectly detected by the coupling product of two phenoxyl radicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrole is a tetraphyroolic macrocycle that has one carbon atom less than a porphyrin. The ring contraction reduces the symmetry from D4h to C2v, changes the electronic structure of the heterocycle, and leads to a smaller central cavity with three protons rather than the two of a porphyrin. The differences between ferric corroles and porphyrins lead to a number of differences in reactivity including increased axial ligand lability and a tendency to form 5-coordinate complexes. The electronic structure origin of these differences has been difficult to study experimentally as the dominant porphyrin/corrole π → π* transitions obscure the electronic transitions of the metal. Recently, we have developed a methodology that allows for the interpretation of the multiplet structure of Fe L-edges in terms of differential orbital covalency (i.e., the differences in mixing of the metal d orbitals with the ligand valence orbital) using a valence bond configuration interaction model. Herein, we apply this methodology, combined with a ligand field analysis of the Fe K pre-edge to a low-spin ferric corrole, and compare it to a low-spin ferric porphyrin. The experimental results combined with DFT calculations show that the contracted corrole is both a stronger σ donor and a very anisotropic π donor. These differences decrease the bonding interactions with axial ligands and contribute to the increased axial ligand lability and reactivity of ferric corroles relative to ferric porphyrins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a combination of electronic spectroscopies and DFT calculations, the effect of pH perturbation on the geometric and electronic structure of the CUA site has been defined. Descriptions are developed for high pH (pH = 7) and low pH (pH = 4) forms of CUA azurin and its H120A mutant which address the discrepancies concerning the extent of delocalization indicated by multifrequency EPA and ENDOR data (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2005, 127, 7274; Biophys. J. 2002, 82, 2758). Our resonance Raman and MCD spectra demonstrate that the low pH and H120A mutant forms are essentially identical and are the perturbed forms of the completely delocalized high pH CuA site. However, in going from high pH to low pH, a seven-line hyperfine coupling pattern associated with complete delocalizatiort of the electron (S = 1/2) over two Cu coppers (ICu = 3/2) changes into a four-line pattern reflecting apparent localization. DFT calculations show that the unpaired electron is delocalized in the low pH form and reveal that its four-line hyperfine pattern results from the large EPA spectral effects of ~1% 4s orbital contribution of one Cu to the ground-state spin wave function upon protonative loss of its His ligand. The contribution of the Cu-Cu interaction to electron delocalization in this low symmetry protein site is evaluated, and the possible functional significance of the pH-dependent transition in regulating proton-coupled electron transfer in cytochrome c oxidase is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S K-edge X-ray absorption, UV-vis absorption, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), and resonance Raman spectroscopies are used to investigate the electronic structure differences among WT, M121SeM, and C112SeC Pseudomonas aeruginosa (P.a) azurin. A comparison of S K-edge XAS of WT and M121SeM azurin and a CuII-thioether model complex shows that the 38% S character in the ground state wave function of the blue-copper (BC) sites solely reflects the Cu-SCys bond. Resonance Raman (rR) data on WI and C112SeC azurin give direct evidence for the kinematic coupling between the Cu-SCys stretch and the cysteine deformation modes in WT azurin, which leads to multiple features in the rR spectrum of the BC site. The UV-vis absorption and MCD data on WT, M121SeM, and C112SeC give very similar Go/Do ratios, indicating that the G-term MCD intensity mechanism involves Cu-centered spin-orbit coupling (SOC). The spectroscopic data combined with density functional theory (DFT) calculations indicate that SCys and SeCys have similar covalent interactions with Cu at their respective bond lengths of 2.1 and 2.3 Å. This reflects the similar electronegativites of S and Se in the thiolate/selenolate ligand fragment and explains the strong spectroscopic similarities between WT and C112SeC azurin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molybdenum- or tungsten-containing enzymes catalyze oxygen atom transfer reactions involved in carbon, sulfur, or nitrogen metabolism. It has been observed that reduction potentials and oxygen atom transfer rates are different for W relative to Mo enzymes and the isostructural Mo/W complexes. Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and density functional theory (DFT) calculations on [MoVO(bdt)2]− and [WVO(bdt)2]−, where bdt=benzene-1,2-dithiolate(2-), have been used to determine that the energies of the half-filled redox-active orbital, and thus the reduction potentials and M ═ O bond strengths, are different for these complexes due to relativistic effects in the W sites. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The geometric and electronic structure of the active site of the non-heme iron enzyme nitrile hydratase (NHase) is studied using sulfur K-edge XAS and DFT calculations. Using thiolate (RS-)-, sulfenate (RSO-)-, and sulfenate (RSO2-)-ligated model complexes to provide benchmark spectral parameters, the results show that the S K-edge XAS is sensitive to the oxidation state of S-containing ligands and that the spectrum of the RSO species changes upon protonation as the S-O bond is elongated (by ∼0.1 Å). These signature features are used to identify the three cysteine residues coordinated to the low-spin Fe... in the active site of NHase as CysS-, CysSOH, and CysSO2- both in the NO-bound inactive form and in the photolyzed active form. These results are correlated to geometry-optimized DFT calculations. The pre-edge region of the X-ray absorption spectrum is sensitive to the Z of the Fe and reveals that the Fe in [FeNO]6 NHase species has a Zeff very similar to that of its photolyzed Fe... counterpart. DFT calculations reveal that this results from the strong π back-bonding into the π* antibonding orbital of NO, which shifts significant charge from the formally t26 low-spin metal to the coordinated NO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy of a hydrogen-bonded elongated [Fe4S4]2+ cube is reported. The data show that this synthetic cube is less covalent than a normal compressed cube with no hydrogen bonding. DFT calculations reveal that the observed difference in electronic structure has significant contributions from both the cluster distortion and from hydrogen bonding. The elongated and compressed Fe4S4 structures are found to have different spin topologies (i.e., orientation of the delocalized Fe2S2 subclusters which are antiferromagnetically coupled to each other). It is suggested that the H-bonding interaction with the counterion does not contribute to the cluster elongation. A magneto-structural correlation is developed for the Fe4S4 cube that is used to identify the redox-active Fe2S2 subclusters in active sites of HiPIP and ferredoxin proteins involving these clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogen bonding (H-bonding) is generally thought to play an important role in tuning the electronic structure and reactivity of metal–sulfur sites in proteins. To develop a quantitative understanding of this effect, S K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) has been employed to directly probe ligand–metal bond covalency, where it has been found that protein active sites are significantly less covalent than their related model complexes. Sulfur K-edge XAS data are reported here on a series of P450 model complexes with increasing H-bonding to the ligated thiolate from its substituent. The XAS spectroscopic results show a dramatic decrease in preedge intensity. DFT calculations reproduce these effects and show that the observed changes are in fact solely due to H-bonding and not from the inductive effect of the substituent on the thiolate. These calculations also indicate that the H-bonding interaction in these systems is mainly dipolar in nature. The -2.5 kcal/mol energy of the H-bonding interaction was small relative to the large change in ligand–metal bond covalency (30%) observed in the data. A bond decomposition analysis of the total energy is developed to correlate the preedge intensity change to the change in Fe–S bonding interaction on H-bonding. This effect is greater for the reduced than the oxidized state, leading to a 260 my increase in the redox potential. A simple model shows that E° should vary approximately linearly with the covalency of the Fe–S bond in the oxidized state, which can be determined directly from S K-edge XAS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geometric and electronic structure of the untethered heme–peroxo–copper model complex [(F8TPP)FeIII–(O22-)–CuII(TMPA)](ClO4) (1) has been investigated using Cu and Fe K-edge EXAFS spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations in order to describe its geometric and electronic structure. The Fe and Cu K-edge EXAFS data were fit with a CuߪFe distance of ∼3.72 Å. Spin-unrestricted DFT calculations for the ST = 2 spin state were performed on [(P)FeIII–(O22-)–CuII(TMPA)]+ as a model of 1. The peroxo unit is bound end-on to the copper, and side-on to the high-spin iron, for an overall μ-η¹; η² coordination mode. The calculated CuߪFe distance is ∼0.3 Å longer than that observed experimentally. Fleoptimization of [(P)FeII–(O22-)–CuII(TMPA)]+ with a 3.7 Å CuߪFe constrained distance results in a similar energy and structure that retains the overall μ-η¹η²-peroxo coordination mode. The primary bonding interaction between the copper and the peroxide involves electron donation into the half-occupied Cu dZ² orbital from the peroxide π*σ orbital. In the case of the FeIII––peroxide η² bond, the two major components arise from the donor interactions of the peroxide π*σ and π*v orbitals with the Fe dXZ and dxy orbitals, which give rise to σ and δ bonds, respectively. The π*σ interaction with both the half-occupied dZ² orbital on the copper (η¹) and the dxz orbital on the iron (η²), provides an effective superexchange pathway for strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the metal centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diiron active site in the hydroxylase of Methylococcus capsulatus (Bath) methane monooxygenase (MMOH) has been studied in the oxidized form by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). Previous investigations by XAS and X-ray crystallography have identified two different distances (3.0 and 3.4 Å) between the two Fe atoms in the dinuclear site. The present study has employed a systematic extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) fitting methodology, utilizing known and simulated active site and relevant model structures, to determine unambiguously the Fe-Fe separation in the oxidized form of MMOH. Consistent and unique fits were only possible for an Fe-Fe distance of 3.0 Å. This methodology was then applied to study potential changes in the active site local structure in the presence of MMOD, a protein of unknown function in multi-component MMO. Fe K-edge and EXAFS analyses revealed negligible changes in the diiron site electronic and geometric structure upon addition of MMOD to oxidized MMOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sulfur K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) is reported for [Fe4S4]1+2+3 clusters. The results are quantitatively and qualitatively compared with DFT calculations. The change in covalency upon redox in both the [Fe4S4]1+/2 (ferredoxin) and the [Fe4S4]1/+2 (HiPIP) couple are much larger than that expected from just the change in number of 3d holes. Moreover, the change in the HiPIP couple is higher than that of the ferredoxin couple. These changes in electronic structure are analyzed using DFT calculations in terms of contributions from the nature of the redox active molecular orbital (RAMO) and electronic relaxation. The results indicate that the RAMO of HiPIP has 50% ligand character, and hence, the HiPIP redox couple involves limited electronic relaxation. Alternatively, the RAMO of the ferredoxin couple is metal-based, and the ferredoxin redox couple involves extensive electronic relaxation. The contributions of these RAMO differences to ET processes in the different proteins are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extradiol dioxygenase, 2,3-dihydroxybiphenyl 1,2-dioxygenase (DHBD, EC 1.13.11.39), has been studied using magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), variable-temperature variable-field (VTVH) MCD, X-ray absorption (XAS) pre-edge, and extended X-ray absorption fine structure (EXAFS) spectroscopies, which are analogous to methods used in earlier studies on the extradiol dioxygenase catechol 2,3dioxygenase [Mabrouk et al. J. Am. Chem Soc. 1991, 113, 4053-4061]. For DHBD, the spectroscopic data can be correlated to the results of crystallography and with the results from density functional calculations to obtain detailed geometric and electronic structure descriptions of the resting and substrate (DHB) bound forms of the enzyme. The geometry of the active site Of the resting enzyme, square pyramidal with a strong Fe-glutamate bond in the equatorial plane, localizes the redox active orbital in an orientation appropriate for O[sub 2] binding. However, the O[sub 2] reaction is not favorable, as it would produce a ferric superoxide intermediate with a weak Fe-O bond. Substrate binding leads to a new square pyramidal structure with the strong Fe-glutamate bond in the axial direction as indicated by a decrease in the [sup 5]E[sub g] and increase in the [sup 5]T[sub 2g] splitting. Electronic structure calculations provide insight into the relative lack of dioxygen reactivity for the resting enzyme and its activation upon substrate binding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of spectroscopic techniques have been applied to characterize and compare two model complexes with relevance to red and blue copper centers in metalloproteins, [Cu(SMeIm)(HB(3,5-iPr2pz)3)] (1) and [Cu(SCPh3)(HB(3,5-iPr2pz)3)] (2), which are five- and four-coordinate, respectively. The key spectral differences in low temperature absorption and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD) include an increase in the Sσ→Cu charge transfer (CT) band intensity at 370 nm and a decrease in the absorption intensity at ∼570 nm for the Sπ→Cu CT. The energies of the d→d transitions in 1 are increased relative to 2 reflecting a more tetragonal geometry and a stronger ligand field. S K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) measurements demonstrate a less covalent thiolate Cu interaction in the HOMO of 1 (15% Sp) compared to 2 (52% Sp). XAS at the Cu L-edge indicates that the Cu d-character in the HOMO of 1 has increased relative to that of 2. The electronic perturbation resulting from the increased coordination number has been evaluated. The thiolate rotates in the NNS plane resulting in increased σ overlap with the Cu. Additionally, the Cu–S bond length increases. The associated reduced covalency of the thiolate can contribute to the function of perturbed blue copper sites in proteins. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Focuses on Cu[sub A] center of an engineered Cu[sub A] azurin construct shown through detailed spectroscopic studies and X-ray callistography. Nature of the ground-state wave function; Comparison of Cu[sub A] to plastocyanin.

Examines the role of nitrous oxide reductase on the electronic structure. Combination of saturation magnetic circular dichroism and density functional theory; Determination of spin states; Correlation of ground-state wave with reactivity.

Reports on the protein effects on the electronic structure of the [Fe[sub 4]S[sub 4]][sup 2+] cluster in ferredoxin and HiPIP. Application of X-ray absorption spectroscopy to [Fe[sub 4]S[sub 4]][sup 2+] cluster of HiPIP; Factors affecting the change in the electronic structure of the [Fe[sub 4]S[sub 4]][sup 2+] cluster.