A Cyclodextrin Host/Guest Approach to a Hydrogenase Active Site Biomimetic Cavity

Structure of Ni(II) Inclusion Complex in Solid/Solution States and the Enhancement of Catalytic Behavior in Electrochemical Hydrogen Production

In this article, we investigate the encapsulation of K2[Ni(maleonitriledithiolate)2] (1) within a host molecule, β-cyclodextrin (β-CD), via single-crystal X-ray analysis. An inclusion complex, K2{[Ni(maleonitriledithiolate)2]@(β-CD)2} (2), was constructed from 1 and two β-CDs. The anion guest Ni complex included a host cavity, constructed using two β-CDs, and the Ni atom of the anion was located between the two hydrophilic primary rims. Ultraviolet-visible absorption spectroscopy revealed that inclusion complex 2 exhibited a 2:1 (host:guest) stoichiometry in the solution, which is consistent with the result obtained from X-ray crystallography. The association of the host and guest occurred in two steps, and the association constants for the first and second steps were 1.1(7) × 104 and 1.8(5) × 104 mol-1 dm3, respectively. The catalytic behavior of 1 and 2 was investigated for electrochemical hydrogen production in the aqueous solution of an acetate buffer (pH = 4.72). During the catalytic reaction, inclusion complex 2 was observed to have a better catalytic reaction rate than 1. The study findings provide insights into the effects of the encapsulation of guest molecules within host structures.

Mononuclear Fe(III) Schiff base antipyrine complexes for catalytic hydrogen generation

Mononuclear Fe(III) complexes containing an antipyrine Schiff base ligand were prepared and fully characterized, demonstrating a planar tetradentate coordination geometry. These complexes were found to be active for the hydrogen evolution reaction. Catalysis occurs at -1.4 V vs. Fc+/Fc, with an overpotential of 700 mV. The complexes are active electrocatalysts with a turnover frequency of 700 s-1. Furthermore, when paired with a chromophore and sacrificial donor, the complexes are active photocatalysts demonstrating >1700 turnovers during 40 hours of irradiation with a quantum yield of up to 5.4%. The catalysts have also been found to operate in natural water samples of varying salinity.

A Host-Guest Approach to Engineering Oxidase-Mimetic Assembly with Substrate Selectivity and Dynamic Catalysis

The creation of synthetic materials that emulate the complexity of natural systems, such as enzymes, remains a challenge in biomimicry. Here, we present a simple yet effective strategy to introduce substrate selectivity and dynamic responsiveness into an enzyme-mimetic supramolecular material. We achieved this by anchoring γ-cyclodextrin to a fluorene-modified Lys/Cu2+ assembly, which mimics copper-dependent oxidase. The binding affinity among the components was examined using 1H NMR, isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC), and theoretical simulation. The γ-cyclodextrin acts as a host, forming a complex with the fluorenyl moiety and aromatic substrates of specific sizes. This ensures the proximity of the substrate reactive groups to the copper center, leading to size-selective enhancement of aromatic substrate oxidation, particularly favoring biphenyl substrates. Notably, α- and β-cyclodextrins do not exhibit this effect, and the native oxidase lacks this selectivity. Additionally, the binding affinity of the aromatic substrate to the catalyst can be dynamically tuned by adding α-cyclodextrin or by irradiating with different wavelengths in the presence of competitive azo-guests, resulting in switched oxidative activities. This approach offers a new avenue for designing biomimetic materials with tailorable active site structures and catalytic properties.

Mapping the Ultrafast Mechanistic Pathways of Co Photocatalysts in Pure Water through Time-Resolved X-ray Spectroscopy

Nanosecond time-resolved X-ray (tr-XAS) and optical transient absorption spectroscopy (OTA) are applied to study 3 multimolecular photocatalytic systems with [Ru(bpy)3 ]2+ photoabsorber, ascorbic acid electron donor and Co catalysts with methylene (1), hydroxomethylene (2) and methyl (3) amine substituents in pure water. OTA and tr-XAS of 1 and 2 show that the favored catalytic pathway involves reductive quenching of the excited photosensitizer and electron transfer to the catalyst to form a CoII square pyramidal intermediate with a bonded aqua molecule followed by a CoI square planar derivative that decays within ≈8 μs. By contrast, a CoI square pyramidal intermediate with a longer decay lifetime of ≈35 μs is formed from an analogous CoII geometry for 3 in H2 O. These results highlight the protonation of CoI to form the elusive hydride species to be the rate limiting step and show that the catalytic rate can be enhanced through hydrogen containing pendant amines that act as H-H bond formation proton relays.

Bioinspired complexes confined in well-defined capsules: getting closer to metalloenzyme functionalities

Reproducing the key features offered by metalloprotein binding cavities is an attractive approach to overcome the main bottlenecks of current open artificial models (in terms of stability, efficiency and selectivity). In this context, this featured article brings together selected examples of recent developments in the field of confined bioinspired complexes with an emphasis on the emerging hemicryptophane caged ligands. In particular, we focused on (1) the strategies allowing the insulation and protection of complexes sharing similarities with metalloprotein active sites, (2) the confinement-induced improvement of catalytic efficiencies and selectivities and (3) very recent efforts that have been made toward the development of bioinspired complexes equipped with weakly binding artificial cavities.

Stabilization of Octahedral Metal Halide Clusters by Host-Guest Complexation with γ-Cyclodextrin: Toward Nontoxic Luminescent Compounds

γ-Cyclodextrin (γ-CD) interacts in aqueous solution with octahedral halide clusters Na₂[{M₆X₈}Cl₆] (M = Mo, W; X = Br, I) to form robust inclusion supramolecular complexes [{M₆X₈}Cl₆@2γ-CD]^2-. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses revealed two conformational organizations within the adduct depending on the nature of the inner halide X within the {M₆X₈} core. Using ³⁵Cl NMR and UV-vis as complementary techniques, the kinetics of the hydrolysis process were shown to increase with the following order: {W₆I₈} < {W₆Br₈} ≈ {Mo₆I₈} < {Mo₆Br₈}. The complexation with γ-CD drastically enhances the hydrolytic stability of luminescent [{M₆X₈}Cl₆]^2- cluster-based units, which was quantitatively proved by the same techniques. The resulting host-guest complexation provides a protective shell against contact with water and offers promising horizons for octahedral clusters in biology as revealed by the low dark cytotoxicity and cellular uptake.

Bioinorganic Chemistry on Electrodes: Methods to Functional Modeling

One of the major goals of bioinorganic chemistry has been to mimic the function of elegant metalloenzymes. Such functional modeling has been difficult to attain in solution, in particular, for reactions that require multiple protons and multiple electrons (nH⁺/ne^-). Using a combination of heterogeneous electrochemistry, electrode and molecule design one may control both electron transfer (ET) and proton transfer (PT) of these nH⁺/ne^- reactions. Such control can allow functional modeling of hydrogenases (H⁺ + e^- → 1/2 H₂), cytochrome c oxidase (O₂ + 4 e^- + 4 H⁺ → 2 H₂O), monooxygenases (RR'CH₂ + O₂ + 2 e^- + 2 H⁺ → RR'CHOH + H₂O) and dioxygenases (S + O₂ → SO₂; S = organic substrate) in aqueous medium and at room temperatures. In addition, these heterogeneous constructs allow probing unnatural bioinspired reactions and estimation of the inner- and outer-sphere reorganization energy of small molecules and proteins.

[FeFe]-Hydrogenases: maturation and reactivity of enzymatic systems and overview of biomimetic models

[FeFe]-hydrogenases recieved increasing interest in the last decades. This review summarises important findings regarding their enzymatic reactivity as well as inorganic models applied as electro- and photochemical catalysts.

Supramolecular strategies in artificial photosynthesis

Artificial photosynthesis is a major scientific endeavor aimed at converting solar power into a chemical fuel as a viable approach to sustainable energy production and storage. Photosynthesis requires three fundamental actions performed in order; light harvesting, charge-separation and redox catalysis. These actions span different timescales and require the integration of functional architectures developed in different fields of study. The development of artificial photosynthetic devices is therefore inherently complex and requires an interdisciplinary approach. Supramolecular chemistry has evolved to a mature scientific field in which programmed molecular components form larger functional structures by self-assembly processes. Supramolecular chemistry could provide important tools in preparing, integrating and optimizing artificial photosynthetic devices as it allows precise control over molecular components within such a device. This is illustrated in this perspective by discussing state-of-the-art devices and the current limiting factors - such as recombination and low stability of reactive intermediates - and providing exemplary supramolecular approaches to alleviate some of those problems. Inspiring supramolecular solutions such as those discussed herein will incite expansion of the supramolecular toolbox, which eventually may be needed for the development of applied artificial photosynthesis.

Hydrogenase Mimics in M12 L24 Nanospheres to Control Overpotential and Activity in Proton-Reduction Catalysis

Hydrogenase enzymes are excellent proton reduction catalysts and therefore provide clear blueprints for the development of nature-inspired synthetic analogues. Mimicking their catalytic center is straightforward but mimicking the protein matrix around the active site and all its functions remains challenging. Synthetic models lack this precisely controlled second coordination sphere that provides substrate preorganization and catalyst stability and, as a result, their performances are far from those of the natural enzyme. In this contribution, we report a strategy to easily introduce a specific yet customizable second coordination sphere around synthetic hydrogenase models by encapsulation inside M12 L24 cages and, at the same time, create a proton-rich nano-environment by co-encapsulation of ammonium salts, effectively providing substrate preorganization and intermediates stabilization. We show that catalyst encapsulation in these nanocages reduces the catalytic overpotential for proton reduction by 250 mV as compared to the uncaged catalyst, while the proton-rich nano-environment created around the catalyst ensures that high catalytic rates are maintained.

Aromatic foldamers as scaffolds for metal second coordination sphere design

As metalloproteins exemplify, the chemical and physical properties of metal centers depend not only on their first but also on their second coordination sphere. Installing arrays of functional groups around the first coordination sphere of synthetic metal complexes is thus highly desirable, but it remains a challenging objective. Here we introduce a novel approach to produce tailored second coordination spheres. We used bioinspired artificial architectures based on aromatic oligoamide foldamers to construct a rigid, modular and well-defined environment around a metal complex. Specifically, aza-aromatic monomers having a tethered [2Fe-2S] cluster have been synthesized and incorporated in conical helical foldamer sequences. Exploiting the modularity and predictability of aromatic oligoamide structures allowed for the straightforward design of a conical architecture able to sequester the metal complex in a confined environment. Even though no direct metal complex-foldamer interactions were purposely designed in this first generation model, crystallography, NMR and IR spectroscopy concurred to show that the aromatic oligoamide backbone alters the structure and fluxional processes of the metal cluster.

Enhanced Photocatalytic Hydrogen Production by Hybrid Streptavidin-Diiron Catalysts

Hybrid protein-organometallic catalysts are being explored for selective catalysis of a number of reactions, because they utilize the complementary strengths of proteins and of organometallic complex. Herein, we present an artificial hydrogenase, StrepH2, built by incorporating a biotinylated [Fe-Fe] hydrogenase organometallic mimic within streptavidin. This strategy takes advantage of the remarkable strength and specificity of biotin-streptavidin recognition, which drives quantitative incorporation of the biotinylated diironhexacarbonyl center into streptavidin, as confirmed by UV/Vis spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. FTIR spectra of StrepH2 show characteristic peaks at shift values indicative of interactions between the catalyst and the protein scaffold. StrepH2 catalyzes proton reduction to hydrogen in aqueous media during photo- and electrocatalysis. Under photocatalytic conditions, the protein-embedded catalyst shows enhanced efficiency and prolonged activity compared to the isolated catalyst. Transient absorption spectroscopy data suggest a mechanism for the observed increase in activity underpinned by an observed longer lifetime for the catalytic species Fe^I Fe⁰ when incorporated within streptavidin compared to the biotinylated catalyst in solution.

Orthogonal Supramolecular Assembly Triggered by Inclusion and Exclusion Interactions with Cucurbit[7]uril for Photocatalytic H2 Evolution

The fabrication of efficient and convenient photocatalytic H₂ evolution systems is a fascinating research topic in the field of solar energy conversion. A ternary self-assembled photocatalytic H₂ evolution system was fabricated through supramolecular host-guest chemistry. The system consisted of the H₂ evolution catalyst [Co(dmgH)₂ (4-ppy)₂ ]NO₃ (1; dmgH₂ =dimethylglyoxime, 4-ppy=4-phenylpyridine) and the photosensitizer Eosin Y (EY) assembled with the macrocyclic compound cucurbit[7]uril (CB[7]) to form the 1@CB[7]/EY complex through inclusion and exclusion interactions, respectively. The synchronous self-assembly drives an orthogonal arrangement of the 1@CB[7]/EY system. The inclusion complex 1@CB[7] was successfully characterized by ¹ H NMR spectroscopy and single-crystal XRD. The exclusion process of CB[7] with EY was identified by NMR titration and the optimized geometry of the exclusion structure was determined by DFT calculations. The use of CB[7] resulted in a 6-fold increase in turnover number, a 3-fold increase in turnover frequency, and a 3-fold extension of lifetime for photocatalytic H₂ evolution as compared with the system in the absence of CB[7]. The improvement of the light-driven H₂ evolution activity was ascribed to the ability of CB[7] to link the photosensitizer and catalyst.

A photosynthesis-inspired supramolecular system: caging photosensitizer and photocatalyst in apoferritin

Inspired by the bioinorganic structure of natural [FeFe]-hydrogenase ([FeFe]-H₂ase) that possesses iron sulfur clusters to catalyze proton reduction to hydrogen (H₂), we design a supramolecular photosystem by sequentially integrating hydrophobic ruthenium complex (as a photosensitizer) and diiron dithiolate complex (as a photocatalyst) into the inner surface or cavity of apoferritin via noncovalent interactions. This platform allows photosensitizer and catalyst to localize in a close proximity and short-distance electron transfer process to occur within a confined space. The resulted uniform core-shell nanocomposites were stable and well dispersed in water, and showed enhanced H₂ generation activity in acidic solution as compared to the homogenous system without apoferritin participation.

Control of the overpotential of a [FeFe] hydrogenase mimic by a synthetic second coordination sphere

Hydrogen as a renewable fuel is viable when produced sustainably via proton reduction catalysis (PRC). Many homogeneous electrocatalysts perform PRC with high rates, but they all require a large overpotential to drive the reaction. Natural hydrogenase enzymes achieve reversible PRC with potentials close to the thermodynamic equilibrium through confinement of the active site in a well-defined protein pocket. Inspired by nature, we report a strategy that relies on the selective encapsulation of a synthetic hydrogenase mimic in a novel supramolecular cage. Catalyst confinement decreases the PRC overpotential by 150 mV, and is proposed to originate from the cationic cage stabilizing anionic reaction intermediates within the catalytic cycle.

Catalytic Metallopolymers from [2Fe-2S] Clusters: Artificial Metalloenzymes for Hydrogen Production

Reviewed herein is the development of novel polymer-supported [2Fe-2S] catalyst systems for electrocatalytic and photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reactions. [FeFe] hydrogenases are the best known naturally occurring metalloenzymes for hydrogen generation, and small-molecule, [2Fe-2S]-containing mimetics of the active site (H-cluster) of these metalloenzymes have been synthesized for years. These small [2Fe-2S] complexes have not yet reached the same capacity as that of enzymes for hydrogen production. Recently, modern polymer chemistry has been utilized to construct an outer coordination sphere around the [2Fe-2S] clusters to provide site isolation, water solubility, and improved catalytic activity. In this review, the various macromolecular motifs and the catalytic properties of these polymer-supported [2Fe-2S] materials are surveyed. The most recent catalysts that incorporate a single [2Fe-2S] complex, termed single-site [2Fe-2S] metallopolymers, exhibit superior activity for H₂ production.

Host–guest chemistry between cyclodextrin and a hydrogen evolution catalyst cobaloxime

We report the host–guest chemistry between cyclodextrin and a bisdimethylglyoximato cobalt complex, cobaloxime.

Hydrophilic quaternary ammonium-group-containing [FeFe]H2ase models prepared by quaternization of the pyridyl N atoms in pyridylazadiphosphine- and pyridylmethylazadiphosphine-bridged diiron complexes with various electrophiles

The first aromatic quaternary ammonium-group-containing [FeFe]H₂ase models have been prepared and some of them found to be catalysts for H₂ production under CV conditions.

Photocatalytic H2 production using a hybrid assembly of an [FeFe]-hydrogenase model and CdSe quantum dot linked through a thiolato-functionalized cyclodextrin

It is a great challenge to develop iron-based highly-efficient and durable catalytic systems for the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by understanding and learning from [FeFe]-hydrogenases. Here we report photocatalytic H₂ production by a hybrid assembly of a sulfonate-functionalized [FeFe]-hydrogenase mimic (1) and CdSe quantum dot (QD), which is denoted as 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe (β-CD-6-SH = 6-mercapto-β-cyclodextrin). In this assembly, thiolato-functionalized β-CD acts not only as a stabilizing reagent of CdSe QDs but also as a host compound for the diiron catalyst, so as to confine CdSe QDs to the space near the site of diiron catalyst. In addition, another two reference systems comprising MAA-CdSe QDs (HMAA = mercaptoacetic acid) and 1 in the presence and absence of β-CD, denoted as 1/β-CD/MAA-CdSe and 1/MAA-CdSe, were studied for photocatalytic H₂ evolution. The influences of β-CD and the stabilizing reagent β-CD-6-S^- on the stability of diiron catalyst, the fluorescence lifetime of CdSe QDs, the apparent electron transfer rate, and the photocatalytic H₂-evolving efficiency were explored by comparative studies of the three hybrid systems. The 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe system displayed a faster apparent rate for electron transfer from CdSe QDs to the diiron catalyst compared to that observed for MAA-CdSe-based systems. The total TON for visible-light driven H₂ evolution by the 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe QDs in water at pH 4.5 is about 2370, corresponding to a TOF of 150 h^-1 in the initial 10 h of illumination, which is 2.7- and 6.6-fold more than the amount of H₂ produced from the reference systems 1/β-CD/MAA-CdSe and 1/MAA-CdSe. Additionally, 1/β-CD-6-S-CdSe gave 2.4-5.1 fold enhancement in the apparent quantum yield and significantly improved the stability of the system for photocatalytic H₂ evolution.

Crystal structure of the inclusion complex of cholesterol in β-cyclodextrin and molecular dynamics studies

The role of beta-cyclodextrin (β-CD) in cholesterol removal primarily from mammalian cells and secondly from dairy products has been studied thoroughly in recent years. Although the physicochemical characterization of the inclusion compound of cholesterol in β-CD has been achieved by various methods, no crystal structure has been determined so far. We report here the crystal structure of the inclusion compound of cholesterol in β-CD. The inclusion complex crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 forming head-to-head dimers which are stacked along the c-axis. One well-defined cholesterol molecule 'axially' encapsulated inside the β-CD dimer and 22 water molecules that stabilize the complexes in the crystalline state comprise the asymmetric unit of the structure. The dimers are arranged in an intermediate (IM) channel packing mode in the crystal. Moreover, MD simulations, at 300 and 340 K, based on the crystallographically determined coordinates of the complex show that the formed cholesterol/β-CD inclusion compound remains very stable in aqueous solution at both temperatures.

Click Access to a Cyclodextrin-Based Spatially Confined AIE Material for Hydrogenase Recognition

The spatial confinement of conjugated phenyl rotators is a compulsory requirement for the fluorescence enhancement of aggregation induced emission (AIE) molecules. This work reports a novel spatially confined AIE material by restricting several tetraphenylethylene (TPE) molecules around the primary face of β-cyclodextrin (CD) via a Cu(I) catalytic 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction (click chemistry). The spatial confinement effect was found to significantly enhance the fluorescence emission when compared with a single TPE modified CD. In addition, the emission maxima took place with the dimethyl sulfoxide volume ratio of 30% in a water mixture, which is remarkably different from traditional AIE molecules. Benefiting from the CD’s complexation effect, this material exhibits a selective fluorescence quenching property in certain hydrogenases and can be used as a fluorescence probe for hydrogenase sensing. This demonstrates the potential of the spatially confined AIECD for practical applications.

From protein engineering to artificial enzymes - biological and biomimetic approaches towards sustainable hydrogen production

Hydrogen gas is used extensively in industry today and is often put forward as a suitable energy carrier due its high energy density. Currently, the main source of molecular hydrogen is fossil fuels via steam reforming. Consequently, novel production methods are required to improve the sustainability of hydrogen gas for industrial processes, as well as paving the way for its implementation as a future solar fuel. Nature has already developed an elaborate hydrogen economy, where the production and consumption of hydrogen gas is catalysed by hydrogenase enzymes. In this review we summarize efforts on engineering and optimizing these enzymes for biological hydrogen gas production, with an emphasis on their inorganic cofactors. Moreover, we will describe how our understanding of these enzymes has been applied for the preparation of bio-inspired/-mimetic systems for efficient and sustainable hydrogen production.

Evaluating the role of acidic, basic, and polar amino acids and dipeptides on a molecular electrocatalyst for H2 oxidation

Outer coordination sphere interactions reduce the overpotential for H₂ oxidation catalysts (brown ellipse) compared to those that have –COOH groups but don't have stabilizing interactions (blue ellipse).

One-Pot Click Access to a Cyclodextrin Dimer-Based Novel Aggregation Induced Emission Sensor and Monomer-Based Chiral Stationary Phase

A 'two birds, one stone' strategy was developed via a one-pot click reaction to simultaneously prepare a novel cyclodextrin (CD) dimer based aggregation induced emission (AIE) sensor (AIE-DCD) and a monomer based chiral stationary phase (CSP-MCD) for chiral high performance liquid chromatography (CHPLC). AIE-DCD was found to afford satisfactory AIE response for specific detection of Zn²⁺ with a detection limit of 50 nM. CSP-MCD exhibits excellent enantioseparation ability toward dansyl amino acids, where the resolution of dansyl amino leucine reaches 5.43.

Iron Polypyridyl Complexes for Photocatalytic Hydrogen Generation

A series of Fe(III) complexes were recently reported that are stable and active electrocatalysts for reducing protons into hydrogen gas. Herein, we report the incorporation of these electrocatalysts into a photocatalytic system for hydrogen production. Hydrogen evolution is observed when these catalysts are paired with fluorescein (chromophore) and triethylamine (sacrificial electron source) in a 1:1 ethanol:water mixture. The photocatalytic system is highly active and stable, achieving TONs > 2100 (with respect to catalyst) after 24 h. Catalysis proceeds through a reductive quenching pathway with a quantum yield of over 3%.

Design Strategies for Redox Active Metalloenzymes: Applications in Hydrogen Production

The last decades have seen an increased interest in finding alternative means to produce renewable fuels in order to satisfy the growing energy demands and to minimize environmental impact. Nature can serve as an inspiration for development of these methodologies, as enzymes are able to carry out a wide variety of redox processes at high efficiency, employing a wide array of earth-abundant transition metals to do so. While it is well recognized that the protein environment plays an important role in tuning the properties of the different metal centers, the structure/function relationships between amino acids and catalytic centers are not well resolved. One specific approach to study the role of proteins in both electron and proton transfer is the biomimetic design of redox active peptides, binding organometallic clusters in well-understood protein environments. Here we discuss different strategies for the design of peptides incorporating redox active FeS clusters, [FeFe]-hydrogenase organometallic mimics, and porphyrin centers into different peptide and protein environments in order to understand natural redox enzymes.

Synthesis of Diiron(I) Dithiolato Carbonyl Complexes

Virtually all organosulfur compounds react with Fe(0) carbonyls to give the title complexes. These reactions are reviewed in light of major advances over the past few decades, spurred by interest in Fe2(μ-SR)2(CO)x centers at the active sites of the [FeFe]-hydrogenase enzymes. The most useful synthetic route to Fe2(μ-SR)2(CO)6 involves the reaction of thiols with Fe2(CO)9 and Fe3(CO)12. Such reactions can proceed via mono-, di-, and triiron intermediates. The reactivity of Fe(0) carbonyls toward thiols is highly chemoselective, and the resulting dithiolato complexes are fairly rugged. Thus, many complexes tolerate further synthetic elaboration directed at the organic substituents. A second major route involves alkylation of Fe2(μ-S2)(CO)6, Fe2(μ-SH)2(CO)6, and Li2Fe2(μ-S)2(CO)6. This approach is especially useful for azadithiolates Fe2[(μ-SCH2)2NR](CO)6. Elaborate complexes arise via addition of the FeSH group to electrophilic alkenes, alkynes, and carbonyls. Although the first example of Fe2(μ-SR)2(CO)6 was prepared from ferrous reagents, ferrous compounds are infrequently used, although the Fe(II)(SR)2 + Fe(0) condensation reaction is promising. Almost invariably low-yielding, the reaction of Fe3(CO)12, S8, and a variety of unsaturated substrates results in C-H activation, affording otherwise inaccessible derivatives. Thiones and related C═S-containing reagents are highly reactive toward Fe(0), often giving complexes derived from substituted methanedithiolates and C-H activation.

Investigating the role of chain and linker length on the catalytic activity of an H2 production catalyst containing a β-hairpin peptide

Building on our recent report of an active H2 production catalyst [Ni(PPh 2NProp-peptide)2]2+ (Prop = para-phenylpropionic acid, peptide (R10) = WIpPRWTGPR-NH2, p = D-proline and P2N = 1-aza-3,6-diphosphacycloheptane) that contains structured β-hairpin peptides, here we investigate how H2 production is effected by: (1) the length of the hairpin (eight or ten residues) and (2) limiting the flexibility between the peptide and the core complex by altering the length of the linker: para-phenylpropionic acid (three carbons) or para-benzoic acid (one carbon). Reduction of the peptide chain length from ten to eight residues increases or maintains the catalytic current for H2 production for all complexes, suggesting a non-productive steric interaction at longer peptide lengths. While the structure of the hairpin appears largely intact for the complexes, NMR data are consistent with differences in dynamic behavior which may contribute to the observed differences in catalytic activity. Molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate that complexes with a one-carbon linker have the desired effect of restricting the motion of the hairpin relative to the complex; however, the catalytic currents are significantly reduced compared to complexes containing a three-carbon linker as a result of the electron withdrawing nature of the -COOH group. These results demonstrate the complexity and interrelated nature of the outer coordination sphere on catalysis.