Determination of the Geometric and electronic structure of activated bleomycin using X-ray absorption spectroscopy

X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) enables the study of the oxidation and spin state of iron in activated Bleomycin (BLM). Activated BLM possesses a six-coordinate low-spin ferric complex and has no short Fe-O bond. Its oxygen activated intermediate has a structure similar to peroxy-ferric complexes, which are expected to play an important role in the oxygen activation of heme enzymes.