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In this study, we report a pair of electrocatalysts for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) based on the noninnocent ligand diacetyl-2-(4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone)-3-(2-pyridinehydrazone) (H

Mesoscale imperfections, such as pores and voids, can strongly modify the properties and the mechanical response of materials under extreme conditions. Tracking the material response and microstructure evolution during void collapse is crucial for understanding its performance. In particular, imperfections in the ablator materials, such as voids, can limit the efficiency of the fusion reaction and ultimately hinder ignition. To characterize how voids influence the response of materials during dynamic loading and seed hydrodynamic instabilities, we have developed a tailored fabrication procedure for designer targets with voids at specific locations. Our procedure uses SU-8 as a proxy for the ablator materials and hollow silica microspheres as a proxy for voids and pores. By using photolithography to design the targets’ geometry, we demonstrate precise and highly reproducible placement of a single void within the sample, which is key for a detailed understanding of its behavior under shock compression. This fabrication technique will benefit high-repetition rate experiments at x-ray and laser facilities. Insight from shock compression experiments will provide benchmarks for the next generation of microphysics modeling.

Upon visible-light irradiation, the heterogeneous polymer of PDI–Cu(I)–PDI (PDI = perylene diimide) generates charge transfer states that are subsequently quenched by molecular oxygen for their par...

Nature employs two biologically active forms of vitamin B

Vitamin B12 derivatives (Cbls = cobalamins) exhibit photolytic properties upon excitation with light. These properties can be modulated by several factors including the nature of the axial ligands. Upon excitation, homolytic cleavage of the organometallic bond to the upper axial ligand takes place in photolabile Cbls. The photosensitive nature of Cbls has made them potential candidates for light-activated drug delivery. The addition of a fluorophore to the nucleotide loop of thiolato Cbls has been shown to shift the region of photohomolysis to within the optical window of tissue (600-900 nm). With this possibility, there is a need to analyze photolytic properties of unique Cbls which contain a Co-S bond. Herein, the photodissociation of one such Cbl, namely, N-acetylcysteinylcobalamin (NACCbl), is analyzed based on density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) calculations. The S0 and S1 potential energy surfaces (PESs), as a function of axial bond lengths, were computed to determine the mechanism of photodissociation. Like other Cbls, the S1 PES contains metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and ligand field (LF) regions, but there are some unique differences. Interestingly, the S1 PES of NACCbl contains three distinct minima regions opening several possibilities for the mechanism of radical pair (RP) formation. The mild photoresponsiveness, observed experimentally, can be attributed to the small gap in energy between the S1 and S0 PESs. Compared to other Cbls, the gap shown for NACCbl is neither exactly in line with the alkyl Cbls nor the nonalkyl Cbls.

The goal of the Xflows experimental campaign is to study the radiation flow on the National Ignition Facility (NIF) reproducing the sensitivity of the temperature (±8 eV, ±23 μm) and density (±11 mg/cc) measurements of the COAX platform [Johns et al., High Energy Density Phys. 39, 100939 (2021); Fryer et al., High Energy Density Phys. 35, 100738 (2020); and Coffing et al., Phys. Plasmas 29, 083302 (2022)]. This new platform will enable future astrophysical experiments involving supernova shock breakout, such as Radishock (Johns et al., Laboratory for Laser Energetics Annual Report 338, 2020) on OMEGA-60 [Boehly et al., Rev. Sci. Instrum. 66, 508 (1995)], and stochastic media (such as XFOL on OMEGA). Greater energy and larger physical scale on NIF [Moses et al., Eur. Phys. J. D 44, 215 (2007)] will enable a greater travel distance of radiation flow, higher density, and more manufacturable foams and enable exploration of a greater range of radiation behavior than achievable in the prior OMEGA experiments. This publication will describe the baseline configuration for the Xflows experimental campaign and the roadmap to achieve its primary objectives.

The CarH photoreceptor exploits of the light-sensing ability of coenzyme B

Photolysis of methylcobalamin (MeCbl) in the presence of molecular oxygen (O2) has been investigated using density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT). The key step involves the formation of the Cbl–O–O–CH3 intermediate as a result of triplet O2 insertion in the Co–C bond in the presence of light. Analysis of low-lying excited states shows that the presence of light is only needed to activate the Co–C bond via the formation of the ligand field (LF) state. The insertion of O2, as well as the change in the spin state, takes place in the ground state. The analysis of the structural and electronic properties of the Cbl–O–O–CH3 intermediate is presented and possible decomposition also discussed.

Polarized X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) at the Co K-edge and broadband UV–vis transient absorption are used to monitor the sequential evolution of the excited-state structure of coenzyme B12 (adenosylcobalamin) over the first picosecond following excitation. The initial state is characterized by sub-100 fs sequential changes around the central cobalt. These are polarized first in the y-direction orthogonal to the transition dipole and 50 fs later in the x-direction along the transition dipole. Expansion of the axial bonds follows on a ca. 200 fs time scale as the molecule moves out of the Franck–Condon active region of the potential energy surface. On the same 200 fs time scale there are electronic changes that result in the loss of stimulated emission and the appearance of a strong absorption at 340 nm. These measurements provide a cobalt-centered movie of the excited molecule as it evolves to the local excited-state minimum.

Methyl transfer reactions mediated by cobalamins (Cbls) have been considered as one of the most important biologically relevant molecular transformations for many enzymatic reactions catalyzed by Cbl-dependent enzymes. The exact mechanism of methyl transfer reactions involving Cbls is still poorly understood. To investigate the mechanistic details of Cbl mediated methylations by alkyl halides, density functional theory (DFT) along with the polarizable continuum model (PCM/water) for solvation has been applied. Two different mechanisms have been examined, namely S N 2 and radical-based electron transfer (ET) to elucidate the methyl transfer reaction. The calculations have suggested that the methyl transfer from methyl halides proceeds through S N 2 nucleophilic displacement. However, with more bulky alkyl substrate, namely isopropyl and tert-butyl halides the reaction followed the ET-based radical pathway which is associated with an ET from diradical form of cob(I)alamin to alkyl halides. Our proposed mechanism for alkyl transfer reaction corroborates with the experimental findings, which reported a mechanistic switch from a two-electron (S N 2-type) to a one-electron mechanism for sterically demanding alkyl halides. The present theoretical contribution provides more in-depth insight into the methyl transfer reaction catalyzed by corrinoid-dependent methyltransferases.

The biologically active forms of vitamin B12, methylcobalamin (MeCbl) and adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl), are important cofactors in a variety of enzymatic processes. In addition to their roles as cofactors, these B12 derivatives have unique photolytic properties based on the light-sensitivity of the organometallic Co C bond. Their photolysis is mediated by low-lying excited states, where photodissociation of the Co C bond leads to formation of singlet-born alkyl/cob(II)alamin radical pairs (RPs). Also, the geometric and electronic characteristics of cobalamins (Cbls) are different based on whether the 5,6-dimethylbenzimidazole base (DBI) is bound as the lower axial ligand (base-on) or replaced by water (base-off) in strongly acidic conditions. The focus of this review is to summarize the current understanding of these photolytic properties from a theoretical perspective. Potential energy surfaces (PESs) associated with low-lying excited states, constructed as functions of both axial bond lengths, provide the most reliable tool for understanding the photodissociation mechanisms. The primary computational method for calculating ground state properties is density functional theory (DFT), while time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) is used for electronically excited states. Based on such constructed PESs, energy pathways connecting metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and ligand field (LF) electronic states, can be associated with the light induced photo-homolysis of the Co C bond that is observed experimentally. Likewise, the crossing of the S1/S0 surfaces can be used to describe internal conversion (IC) to the ground state. Particular emphasis will be placed on the differences observed in the photodissociation mechanisms and the photolytic properties of the base-on versus base-off B12 cofactors. The possibility of intersystem crossing (ISC) and the formation of triplet RP is also presented based on semi-classical Landau-Zener theory.

Glutamate mutase (GLM) is a coenzyme B12-dependent enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of S-glutamate to (2 S,3 S)-3-methyl aspartate. The initial step in the catalytic process is the homolytic cleavage of the coenzyme's Co-C bond upon binding of a substrate. Alternatively, the Co-C bond can be cleaved using light. To investigate the photolytic cleavage of the Co-C bond in GLM, we applied a combined density functional theory/molecular mechanics (DFT/MM) and time-dependent-DFT/MM method to scrutinize the ground and the low-lying excited states. Potential energy surfaces (PESs) were generated as a function of axial bond lengths to describe the photodissociation mechanism. The S1 PES was characterized as the crossing of two electronic states, metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT), and ligand field (LF). In GLM, radical pairs generate from the LF state. Two pathways, path A and path B, were identified as possible channels to connect the MLCT and LF electronic states. The S1 PES in GLM was compared with the S1 PES for coenzyme B12-dependent ethanolamine ammonia lyase as well as the isolated AdoCbl cofactor. Finally, the theoretical insights related to the photodissociation mechanism were compared with transient absorption spectroscopy, electron paramagnetic resonance, and resonance Raman spectroscopy.

Vitamin B12-dependent enzymes catalyze several difficult radical reactions. There are fundamental open questions that need to be addressed to fully understand the formation of highly reactive radical species, its dynamics, and interaction with the substrate and enzyme. In this work, ab initio molecular dynamics was performed within a QM/MM framework on a reduced AdoCbl cofactor, which was taken as a post proton-coupled electron transfer initial step for the activation of the AdoCbl-dependent methylmalonyl CoA mutase enzyme. The calculated free-energy profile reveals two possible pathways, stepwise (I) and concerted (II) for the reductive Co-C cleavage and subsequent H-abstraction. The computed activation barrier from metadynamics for both the pathways is comparable (78.5 and 76.2 kJ/mol, respectively); however, the concerted pathway may be preferred kinetically because it avoids the formation of a high-energy radical intermediate with possibly a larger recrossing rate. Our results are consistent with the previous conductor hypothesis, indicating the explicit role of cob(II)alamin in stabilizing the radical intermediate involved in the H-atom transfer.

Coenzyme B12 (Adenosylcobalamin = AdoCbl)-dependent enzymes catalyze complex molecular transformations where cleavage of the Co C bond initiates the catalytic cycle. Alternatively, the Co C bond can be cleaved with light. In both cases, rupture of the Co C bond results in the formation of Co(II)/Ado radical pair (RP). Within the field of B12 chemistry, there has been a suspicion that photolytic cleavage can be used as a probe or a direct comparison of the native reaction. Herein, we seek to resolve what the connection between light induced RP formation and the native catalytic cycle is. We used a combined QM/MM approach to construct PESs for AdoCbl-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) as a function of axial bonds to describe the reaction mechanism. We have found that there is no direct comparison that can be made between photolysis and enzymatic cleavage as the mechanism associated with these involves different electronic states. With that being said, we have explored an alternate hypothesis for the connection which involves the one-electron reduced form of the AdoCbl cofactor. This hypothesis is in line with the concept based on proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET), which involves the formation of AdoCbl cofactor-tyrosine diradical complex. The topology of the PES for the one-electron reduced (D1) cofactor is very similar to the PES associated with photo-induced cleavage (S1). Both surfaces contain two energy minima that are, similarly, the result of two distinct electronic states. Thus, it appears that the reaction mechanism associated with the D1 surface and the S1 surface are very similar, providing a plausible connection between photolysis and native catalysis.

Predicting and modeling the behavior of experiments with radiation waves propagating through low-density foams require a detailed quantification of the numerous uncertainties present. In regimes where a prominent radiative shock is produced, key dynamical features include the shock position, temperature, and curvature and the spatial distribution and temperature of the corresponding supersonic radiation wave. The COAX experimental platform is designed to constrain numerical models of such a radiative shock propagating through a low-density foam by employing radiography for spatial and shock information, Dante for characterizing the x-ray flux from the indirectly driven target, and a novel spectral diagnostic designed to probe the temperature profile of the wave. In this work, we model COAX with parameterized 2D simulations and a Hohlraum-laser modeling package to study uncertainties in diagnosing the experiment. The inferred temperature profile of the COAX radiation transport experiments has been shown to differ from simulations more than expected from drive uncertainties that have been constrained by simultaneous soft x-ray flux and radiography measurements.

A reversible Van der Waals complex formation between the electron-deficient fluorinated aromatic ring and N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) molecules followed by light irradiation resulted in charge transfer (CT) process. The complex was stabilized by ammonium formate and further decomposed to form the C-N bond. Control experiments revealed that the simultaneous SN Ar pathway also contributes to product formation. This methodology is mild, metal-free, and effective for the amination of a variety of substrates. The reproducibility of this methodology was also verified on gram-scale reactions. The CT states were supported by control UV/Vis spectroscopy and computational studies.

Hydridocobalamin (HCbl), is a known member of the B12 family of molecules (cobalamins, Cbls) yet unlike other well-studied Cbls, little is known of the electronic and photolytic properties of this species. Interest in HCbl has increased significantly in recent years when at least three experimentally proposed mechanisms implicate HCbl as an intermediary in the photoreaction of coenzyme B12-dependent photoreceptor CarH. Specifically, cleavage of the Co-C5′ bond of coenzyme B12 could lead to a β-hydride or β‑hydrogen elimination reaction to form HCbl. HCbl is known to be a transient species where the oxidation state of the Co is variable; Co(I)-H+ ↔ Co(II)-H ↔ Co(III)-H−. Further, HCbl is a very unstable with a pKa of ~1. This complicates experimental studies and to the best of our knowledge there are no available crystal structures of HCbl – either for the isolated molecule or bound to an enzyme. In this study, the electronic structure, photolytic properties, and reactivity of HCbl were explored to determine the preferred oxidation state as well as its potential role in the formation of the photoproduct in CarH. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis was performed to determine the oxidation state of Co in isolated HCbl. Based on the NBO analysis of HCbl, Co clearly had excess negative charge, which is in stark contrast to other alkylCbls where the Co ion is marked by significant positive charge. In sum, NBO results indicate that the Co H bond is strongly polarized and almost ionic. It can be described as protonated Co(I). In addition, DFT was used to explore the bond dissociation energy of HCbl based on homolytic cleavage of the Co H bond. TD-DFT calculations were used to compare computed electronic transitions to the experimentally determined absorption spectrum. The photoreaction of CarH was explored using an isolated model system and a pathway for hydrogen transfer was found. Finally, quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) calculations were employed to investigate the formation of HCbl in CarH.

Vitamin B

Photolysis of methylcobalamin (MeCbl) in the presence of molecular oxygen (O

Methylcobalamin (MeCbl)-dependent enzyme methionine synthase (MetH), plays a critical role in the catalysis of methyl group transfer from methyltetrahydrofolate (CH3-H4folate) to homocysteine. It often performs a side reaction to generate cob(II)alamin through photolysis of the organometallic CoC σ bond. A hybrid QM/MM method has been applied to explore the photochemistry of MeCbl-bound MetH. The photolytic properties of MeCbl inside MetH are mediated by its manifold of low-lying excited states. The corresponding potential energy surfaces (PESs) of the electronically excited S1 state has been constructed as a function of axial bond lengths to elucidate the mechanism of photo-induced activation of CoC bond inside the enzyme. The analysis of the S1 PES has revealed that the two different electronic states of the S1 PES, namely metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and the ligand field (LF), are relevant to the photodissociation of the CoC bond. There are two possible pathways identified, Path A and Path B, that connect the MLCT to LF state that represent possible photodissociation mechanisms. In the case of MetH, one possible photodissociation pathway (Path B) was identified based on the energetics of the MLCT and LF states. The energetically accessible Path B involves the initial detachment of the Co-NIm bond followed by a subsequent displacement of the CoC bond prior to the formation of cob(II)alamin / CH3 radical pair (RP). The photochemical data of base-on MeCbl in solution was compared with the computed result of MeCbl-bound MetH to understand the effect of the enzymatic environment on the photolytic properties of MeCbl.

In this study, we report the electrocatalytic behavior of the neutral, monomeric Ni(II) complex of diacetyl-bis( N-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazonato), NiL

Ultrafast time-resolved spectroscopy was used to study the photochemistry of hydroxocobalamin (HOCbl) and aquocobalamin (H2OCbl+) in solution. Spectroscopic measurements and TD-DFT simulations provide a consistent picture of the spectroscopy and photochemistry. Excitation of H2OCbl+ results in formation of an excited state followed by rapid internal conversion to the ground state (0.35 ± 0.15 ps) through an S1/S0 seam at a slightly elongated Co–O bond length and a significantly elongated Co–NIm bond length. In contrast, the initial elongation of the axial bonds in HOCbl is followed by contraction to an excited state minimum with bonds slightly shorter than those in the ground state. Internal conversion to the ground state follows on a picosecond time scale (5.3 ± 0.4 ps). For both compounds, photodissociation forming cob(II)alamin and hydroxyl radicals (∼1.5% yield) requires excitation to highly excited states. Dissociation is mediated by competition between internal conversion to the S1 surface and promp...

Antivitamins B12 represent an important class of vitamin B12 analogues that have gained recent interest in several research areas. In particular, 4-ethylphenylcobalamin (EtPhCbl) and phenylethynylcobalamin (PhEtyCbl) exemplify two such antivitamins B12 which have been characterized structurally and chemically. From a spectroscopic point of view, EtPhCbl is photolabile with a very low quantum yield of photoproducts, while PhEtyCbl is incredibly photostable. Herein, DFT and TD-DFT computations are provided to explore the photolytic properties of these compounds to shed light on the electronic properties that are indicative of these differences. Potential energy surfaces (PESs) were constructed to investigate the mechanisms of photodissociation leading to radical pair (RP) formation and the mechanisms of deactivation to the ground state. The S1 PESs for each antimetabolite contain two energy minima, one being the metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and another the ligand-field (LF) state. There are two po...

Coenzyme B12 (adenosylcobalamin = AdoCbl)-dependent enzymes catalyze complex molecular transformations by employing radical chemistry. The initial step in the native catalytic cycle, upon substrate binding, involves homolytic cleavage of the Co–C bond of AdoCbl to form the Co(II)/Ado• radical pair (RP). Formation of Co(II)/Ado• is subsequently coupled with H atom abstraction from the substrate. Interestingly, these same RPs can be generated upon light absorption without presence of a substrate. Herein, the photochemistry associated with the mechanism of Co–C bond photocleavage inside the AdoCbl-dependent ethanolamine ammonia-lyase (EAL) was investigated using a combined time-dependent density functional theory and molecular mechanics (TD-DFT/MM) approach. Excited state potential energy surfaces (PESs), constructed as a function of axial bond lengths, were used to understand the photocleavage of the Co–C bond and to elucidate the mechanism of photodissociation for AdoCbl inside the enzyme. The S1 PES is ch...

A reversed phase high-performance liquid chromatography method (HPLC) with coulometric electrochemical detection has been applied and validated for the simultaneous analysis of pyridoxamine (PM), pyridoxal (PL), and pyridoxine (PN) in cereal products. Isocratic separation was achieved using a C18 column with a mobile phase consisting of methanol-phosphate buffer (10:90) and 0.018 M trimethylamine adjusted to pH 3.55 with 85% orthophosphoric acid. The limits of detection for PM, PL, and PN were 0.28, 0.36, and 0.43 ng mL−1, respectively, with vitamins recoveries ranging from 90.4 to 98.1%. The applied method for the analysis of B6 vitamins naturally present in grain products, offers a simple and fast sample preparation without derivatization. To understand vitamer separation further, methods of computational chemistry were employed. Specifically, density functional theory (DFT) was used to determine electrostatic potentials, as well as the charges of each vitamer. A number of correlations were established between these properties and elution order.

The homogeneous, nonaqueous catalytic activity of the rhenium-thiolate complex ReL3 (L = diphenylphosphinobenzenethiolate) for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) has been transferred from nonaqueous homogeneous to aqueous heterogeneous conditions by immobilization on a glassy carbon electrode surface. A series of modified electrodes based on ReL3 and its oxidized precursor [ReL3][PF6] were fabricated by drop-cast methods, yielding catalytically active species with HER overpotentials for a current density of 10 mA/cm2, ranging from 357 to 919 mV. The overpotential correlates with film resistance as measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and film morphology as determined by scanning and transmission electron microscopy. The lowest overpotential was for films based on the ionic [ReL3][PF6] precursor with the inclusion of carbon black. Stability measurements indicate a 2 to 3 h conditioning period in which the overpotential increases, after which no change in activity is observed within 24 h or...

Cobalamins are ubiquitous cobalt-based corrinoid cofactors of various transferases, exemplified by methyltransferases and adenosyltransferases. The cobalt oxidation state in these cobalamins directly influences their coordination environment and the redox properties. Cobalt ion in these cobalamins prominently exist in three oxidation states (I, II and III). The main focus of this review is the lowest cobalt oxidation state, cob(I)alamin. Cob(I)alamin, also referred to as “supernucleophile”, has broad reactivity properties. This review focuses on how recent advances in computational chemistry have contributed towards improving our understanding of the coordination environment, electronic structure, spectroscopic properties of cob(I)alamin and its implications for the catalytic functioning of methyltransferases. Density functional theory and quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics approaches provide new insights into the coordination environment of cob(I)alamin bound inside methyltransferase and the molecular mechanism of methyl transfer to cob(I)alamin. In addition, the wavefunction-based multireference approach has revealed the details of the ground state electronic structure and electronically excited S 1 state of cob(I)alamin.

The discovery of naturally occurring B

Polarized X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) at the Co K-edge and broadband UV-vis transient absorption are used to monitor the sequential evolution of the excited-state structure of coenzyme B

The zinc(II) complex of diacetyl-2-(4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone)-3-(2-hydrazonepyridine), ZnL1 (1), was prepared and evaluated as a precatalyst for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) under homo...

Methionine synthase (MetH) is a methylcobalamin (MeCbl)-dependent mammalian enzyme which plays a critical role in carrying out the transfer of a methyl group from methyl tetrahydrofolate to homocysteine to generate methionine and tetrahydrofolate. This catalytic cycle proceeds via cleavage of a Co–C bond which is formally heterolytic. This cleavage results in a structural change in the MeCbl cofactor bound to an enzyme. Unlike the native catalysis, upon photoexcitation, the Co–C bond in MeCbl-bound MetH generates the Co(II)/CH3 radical pairs (RPs). Protein residues of the cap domain, particularly phenylalanine708 (F708) and leucine 715 (L715), which surrounds the upper face of the MeCbl cofactor, inhibit the photolysis of MeCbl by caging the CH3 radical and inducing the geminate recombination of the Co(II)/CH3 RP. A molecular-level understanding of these effects requires a detailed investigation of the low-lying electronic states. Toward this, we have mutated the F708 residue with alanine (A708) and constructed the potential energy surfaces (PESs) for the low-lying S1 electronic state using a combined quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics (QM/MM) approach. The S1 PESs for the wild-type (WT) and mutant enzymes are the result of crossing of two electronic states, namely metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and ligand field (LF) states, indicated by a seam. It is shown that the topologies of the S1 PESs are significantly modulated by introducing a mutation at the F708 position. Specifically, for the WT enzyme, the energy barrier of photoreaction and the energy difference between MLCT and LF minima are markedly higher than those of its mutant counterpart. Moreover, mutation influences the photoactivation of the Co–C bond in enzyme-bound MeCbl by decreasing the rate of geminate recombination and altering the rate of radical pair formation. This theoretical insight was also compared with transient absorption spectroscopic (TAS) studies which are in good agreement with the present findings.

We use picosecond time-resolved polarized X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) measurements to probe the structure of the long-lived photoexcited state of methylcobalamin (MeCbl) and the cob(II)alamin photoproduct formed following photoexcitation of adenosylcobalamin (AdoCbl, coenzyme B12). For MeCbl, we used 520 nm excitation and a time delay of 100 ps to avoid the formation of cob(II)alamin. We find only small spectral changes in the equatorial and axial directions, which we interpret as arising from small (

Vitamin B

Methyl transfer reactions, mediated by methyltransferases (MeTrs), such as methionine synthase (MetH) or monomethylamine: CoM (MtmBC), constitute one of the most important classes of vitamin B12-dependent reactions. The challenge in exploring the catalytic function of MeTrs is related to their modular structure. From the crystallographic point of view, the structure of each subunit has been determined, but there is a lack of understanding of how each subunit interacts with each other. So far, theoretical studies of methyl group transfer were carried out for the structural models of the active site of each subunit. However, those studies do not include the effect of the enzymatic environment, which is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of enzyme-mediated methyl transfer reactions. Herein, to explore how two subunits interact with each other and how the methyl transfer reaction is catalyzed by MeTrs, molecular docking of the functional units of MetH and MtmBC was carried out. Along with the interactions of the functional units, the reaction coordinates, including the Co–C bond distance for methylation of cob(I)alamin (CoICbl) and the C–S bond distance in demethylation reaction of cob(III)alamin (CoIIICbl), were considered. The functional groups should be arranged so that there is an appropriate distance to transfer a methyl group and present results indicate that steric interactions can limit the number of potential arrangements. This calls into question the possibility of SN2-type mechanism previously proposed for MeTrs. Further, it leads to the conclusion that the methyl transfer reaction involves some spatial changes of modules suggesting an alternate radical-based pathway for MeTrs-mediated methyl transfer reactions. The calculations also showed that changes in torsion angles induce a change in reaction coordinates, namely Co–C and C–S bond distances, for the methylation and demethylation reactions catalyzed both by MetH and MtmBC.

Ultrafast, polarization-selective time-resolved X-ray absorption near-edge structure (XANES) was used to characterize the photochemistry of vitamin B12, cyanocobalamin (CNCbl), in solution. Cobalamins are important biological cofactors involved in methyl transfer, radical rearrangement, and light-activated gene regulation, while also holding promise as light-activated agents for spatiotemporal controlled delivery of therapeutics. We introduce polarized femtosecond XANES, combined with UV–visible spectroscopy, to reveal sequential structural evolution of CNCbl in the excited electronic state. Femtosecond polarized XANES provides the crucial structural dynamics link between computed potential energy surfaces and optical transient absorption spectroscopy. Polarization selectivity can be used to uniquely identify electronic contributions and structural changes, even in isotropic samples when well-defined electronic transitions are excited. Our XANES measurements reveal that the structural changes upon photoex...

Biologically active forms of cobalamins are crucial cofactors in biochemical reactions and these metabolites can be inhibited by their structurally similar analogues known as antivitamins B12. Phenylethynylcobalamin (PhEtyCbl) or 4-ethylphenylcobalamin (EtPhCbl) exemplify recently synthesized and structurally characterized antivitamins B12. Herein, DFT and TD-DFT studies of EtPhCbl are provided to explore its photochemical behavior, which may lead to design of arylcobalamins that can be used as therapeutic agents in light activated drug applications. To understand the photolability of EtPhCbl, a potential energy surface (PES) for the photodissociation of the Co–C bond was constructed. The S1 PES contains two energy minima, one being metal-to-ligand charge transfer (MLCT) and another the ligand-field (LF) state. There are two possible pathways for photodissociation: the first pathway (path A) involves initially lengthening the Co–C bond from the MLCT minimum and then elongation of Co–NIm while the second pathway (path B) involves the lengthening of the Co–NIm bond through the MLCT region followed by the lengthening of the Co–C bond through the LF region. It is shown that photodissociation involving path A is not energetically favorable whereas preferable photodissociation of the Co–C bond involves path B.

The methylation of Hg(II) (SCH3 )2 by corrinoid-based methyl donors proceeds in a concerted manner through a single transition state by transfer of a methyl radical, in contrast to previously proposed reaction mechanisms. This reaction mechanism is a consequence of relativistic effects that lower the energies of the mercury 6p1/2 and 6p3/2 orbitals, making them energetically accessible for chemical bonding. In the absence of spin-orbit coupling, the predicted reaction mechanism is qualitatively different. This is the first example of relativity being decisive for the nature of an observed enzymatic reaction mechanism.

A new pathway for homogeneous electrocatalytic H2 evolution and H2 oxidation has been developed using a redox active thiosemicarbazone and its zinc complex as seminal metal-free and transition-metal-free examples. Diacetyl-bis(N-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazone) and zinc diacetyl-bis(N-4-methyl-3-thiosemicarbazide) display the highest reported TOFs of any homogeneous ligand-centered H2 evolution catalyst, 1320 and 1170 s(-1), respectively, while the zinc complex also displays one of the highest reported TOF values for H2 oxidation, 72 s(-1), of any homogeneous catalyst. Catalysis proceeds via ligand-centered proton-transfer and electron-transfer events while avoiding traditional metal-hydride intermediates. The unique mechanism is consistent with electrochemical results and is further supported by density functional theory. The results identify a new direction for the design of electrocatalysts for H2 evolution and H2 oxidation that are not reliant on metal-hydride intermediates.