Rhodium-coordinated poly(arylene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(arylene-vinylene) copolymer acting as photocatalyst for visible-light-powered NAD⁺/NADH reduction

A 2,2'-bipyridyl-containing poly(arylene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(arylene-vinylene) polymer, acting as a light-harvesting ligand system, was synthesized and coupled to an organometallic rhodium complex designed for photocatalytic NAD(+)/NADH reduction. The material, which absorbs over a wide spectral range, was characterized by using various analytical techniques, confirming its chemical structure and properties. The dielectric function of the material was determined from spectroscopic ellipsometry measurements. Photocatalytic reduction of nucleotide redox cofactors under visible light irradiation (390-650 nm) was performed and is discussed in detail. The new metal-containing polymer can be used to cover large surface areas (e.g. glass beads) and, due to this immobilization step, can be easily separated from the reaction solution after photolysis. Because of its high stability, the polymer-based catalyst system can be repeatedly used under different reaction conditions for (photo)chemical reduction of NAD(+). With this concept, enzymatic, photo-biocatalytic systems for solar energy conversion can be facilitated, and the precious metal catalyst can be recycled.

Synthesis and characterisation of cobalt, nickel and copper complexes with tripodal 4N ligands as novel catalysts for the homogeneous partial oxidation of alkanes

Four new compounds of the general formula [M(L)(CH3COO)][PF6], where L is a tetradentate tripodal ligand such as tris[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine (L1) or (2-aminoethyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (L2) and M is Co(II), Ni(II) or Cu(II), have been prepared employing a simple two-step synthesis. The compounds have been characterised by elemental analysis, mass spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction. The catalytic properties of the derivatives containing the aliphatic ligand L1 have been investigated in particular toward the oxidation of cyclohexane and adamantane in the presence of the sacrificial oxidant m-CPBA (meta-chloroperbenzoic acid). Good TONs and selectivity have been determined for the cobalt and nickel compounds.

Electrocatalytic Reduction of Carbon Dioxide to Carbon Monoxide by a Polymerized Film of an Alkynyl-Substituted Rhenium(I) Complex

The alkynyl-substituted Re^I complex [Re(5,5'-bisphenylethynyl-2,2'-bipyridyl)(CO)₃Cl] was immobilized by electropolymerization onto a Pt-plate electrode. The polymerized film exhibited electrocatalytic activity for the reduction of CO₂ to CO. Cyclic voltammetry studies and bulk controlled-potential electrolysis experiments were performed by using a CO₂-saturated acetonitrile solution. The CO₂ reduction, determined by cyclic voltammetry, occurs at approximately -1150 mV versus the normal hydrogen electrode (NHE). Quantitative analysis by GC and IR spectroscopy was used to determine a Faradaic efficiency of approximately 33 % for the formation of CO. Both values of the modified electrode were compared to the performance of the homogenous monomer [Re(5,5'-bisphenylethynyl-2,2'-bipyridyl)(CO)₃Cl] in acetonitrile. The polymer formation and its properties were studied by using SEM, AFM, and attenuated total reflectance (ATR) FTIR and UV/Vis spectroscopy.

Photocatalytic reduction of artificial and natural nucleotide co-factors with a chlorophyll-like tin-dihydroporphyrin sensitizer

An efficient photocatalytic two-electron reduction and protonation of nicotine amide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), as well as the synthetic nucleotide co-factor analogue N-benzyl-3-carbamoyl-pyridinium (BNAD⁺), powered by photons in the long-wavelength region of visible light (λ_irr > 610 nm), is demonstrated for the first time. This functional artificial photosynthetic counterpart of the complete energy-trapping and solar-to-fuel conversion primary processes occurring in natural photosystem I (PS I) is achieved with a robust water-soluble tin(IV) complex of meso-tetrakis(N-methylpyridinium)-chlorin acting as the light-harvesting sensitizer (threshold wavelength of λ_thr = 660 nm). In buffered aqueous solution, this chlorophyll-like compound photocatalytically recycles a rhodium hydride complex of the type [Cp*Rh(bpy)H]⁺, which is able to mediate regioselective hydride transfer processes. Different one- and two-electron donors are tested for the reductive quenching of the irradiated tin complex to initiate the secondary dark reactions leading to nucleotide co-factor reduction. Very promising conversion efficiencies, quantum yields, and excellent photosensitizer stabilities are observed. As an example of a catalytic dark reaction utilizing the reduction equivalents of accumulated NADH, an enzymatic process for the selective transformation of aldehydes with alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) coupled to the primary photoreactions of the system is also demonstrated. A tentative reaction mechanism for the transfer of two electrons and one proton from the reductively quenched tin chlorin sensitizer to the rhodium co-catalyst, acting as a reversible hydride carrier, is proposed.

An efficient photocatalytic system for the two-electron reduction of nucleotide co-factors has been characterized. For the first time it could be demonstrated in an abiotic system that the long-wavelength region of the visible spectrum (> 610 nm) can be exploited to power the accumulation of NADH. The artificial photosynthetic reaction sequence, described here in detail, can be regarded as the first true functional model system for the overall light reactions occurring in natural photosystem I.

Origin of proton affinity to membrane/water interfaces

Proton diffusion along biological membranes is vitally important for cellular energetics. Here we extended previous time-resolved fluorescence measurements to study the time and temperature dependence of surface proton transport. We determined the Gibbs activation energy barrier ΔG ^‡_r that opposes proton surface-to-bulk release from Arrhenius plots of (i) protons' surface diffusion constant and (ii) the rate coefficient for proton surface-to-bulk release. The large size of ΔG ^‡_r disproves that quasi-equilibrium exists in our experiments between protons in the near-membrane layers and in the aqueous bulk. Instead, non-equilibrium kinetics describes the proton travel between the site of its photo-release and its arrival at a distant membrane patch at different temperatures. ΔG ^‡_r contains only a minor enthalpic contribution that roughly corresponds to the breakage of a single hydrogen bond. Thus, our experiments reveal an entropic trap that ensures channeling of highly mobile protons along the membrane interface in the absence of potent acceptors.

How [FeFe]-Hydrogenase Facilitates Bidirectional Proton Transfer

Hydrogenases are metalloenzymes that catalyze the conversion of protons and molecular hydrogen, H₂. [FeFe]-hydrogenases show particularly high rates of hydrogen turnover and have inspired numerous compounds for biomimetic H₂ production. Two decades of research on the active site cofactor of [FeFe]-hydrogenases have put forward multiple models of the catalytic proceedings. In comparison, our understanding of proton transfer is poor. Previously, residues were identified forming a hydrogen-bonding network between active site cofactor and bulk solvent; however, the exact mechanism of catalytic proton transfer remained inconclusive. Here, we employ in situ infrared difference spectroscopy on the [FeFe]-hydrogenase from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii evaluating dynamic changes in the hydrogen-bonding network upon photoreduction. While proton transfer appears to be impaired in the oxidized state (Hox), the presented data support continuous proton transfer in the reduced state (Hred). Our analysis allows for a direct, molecular unique assignment to individual amino acid residues. We found that transient protonation changes of glutamic acid residue E141 and, most notably, arginine R148 facilitate bidirectional proton transfer in [FeFe]-hydrogenases.

DNA interactions and photocatalytic strand cleavage by artificial nucleases based on water-soluble gold(III) porphyrins

The novel gold porphyrin complex (5,10,15-tris(N-methylpyridinium-4-yl)-20-(1-pyrenyl)-porphyrinato)gold(III) chloride, [Au(III)(TMPy3Pyr1P)]Cl4, was prepared and characterized by optical spectroscopy, high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), and electrospray mass spectrometry. This cationic multichromophore compound exhibits excellent water solubility and does not form aggregates under physiological conditions. Binding interactions of this complex and related model compounds with nucleic acid substrates have been studied and characterized by NMR and circular dichroism spectroscopy. The photoreactivity of [Au(III)(TMPy3Pyr1P)]Cl4 was investigated under anaerobic and aerobic conditions in the presence of an excess of purine nucleoside, guanosine, and plasmid DNA. Photocatalytic oxidative degradation of guanosine and the change from supercoiled to circular plasmid DNA upon monochromatic irradiation and polychromatic blue-light exposure with a maximum at 420 nm was explored. The potential of the novel water-soluble cationic metallointercalator complex [Au(III)(TMPy3Pyr1P)]Cl4 to serve as a catalytic photonuclease for the cleavage of DNA has been demonstrated.

Design, synthesis and characterization of a modular bridging ligand platform for bio-inspired hydrogen production

Synthesis and characterization of a novel type of ambident bridging ligands joining together the functional prerequisites for visible-light absorption, photoinduced electron transfer and catalytic proton reduction is presented. This class of compounds consists of a chromophoric 1,2-diimine-based π-acceptor site and a rigid polyaromatic dithiolate chelator. Due to the presence of a common conjugated linker moiety with an intrinsic two-electron redox reactivity and a suitable orbital coupling of the subunits, a favourable situation for vectorial multielectron transfer from attached electron donors to a catalytic acceptor site is provided. As an example for the application of this kind of bifunctional ligand systems, a [FeFe]-hydrogenase enzyme model compound is prepared and structurally characterized. Electrocatalytic hydrogen formation with this complex is demonstrated.

Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction on copper-trans-A(2)B corroles with excellent functional group tolerance

The palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction has been investigated on meso-substituted trans-A(2)B-corrole using tailored Pd-catalyst systems.We present the first examples of Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions on meso-substituted trans-A(2)B-corrole derivatives with neutral, sterically hindered, inactivated and heteroaromatic boronic acids and esters, alkenylboronic acids, as well as quickly deboronating aryl boronic acids and benzo-condensated five membered heterocyclic boronic acids. In addition, we established a high-yield procedure for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of corroles with neutral boronic acids.Due to the lability of the free-base corrole macrocycles, functionalization of the corrole periphery was performed with the corresponding Cu-metallated species. meso-Substituted trans-A(2)B-corrole can hence be regarded as highly versatile platform towards more sophisticated corrole systems.X-ray structure analysis of a functionalized meso-substituted trans-A(2)B copper corrole exhibited the typical features of such a Cu-complex: short N-Cu distances and a saddled corrole configuration.Moreover, we observed a sensitivity of the formal oxidation state of the coordinated copper ions towards Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction conditions, where the central copper(III) ion approaches the characteristic features of a copper(II) species. This redox behaviour was examined by UV/vis absorption spectra, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments and time-dependent density functional theoretical calculations.

Syntheses, emission properties and intramolecular ligand exchange of zinc complexes with ligands belonging to the tmpa family

The zinc complexes [(L1)(2)Zn(MeOH)(2)](OTf)(2), [(L1)ZnCl(2)], [(L2)ZnCl(2)], [(L2)Zn(OTf)(H(2)O)]OTf and [(Me-bispic)ZnCl(2)] of the ligands N-[(2-pyridyl)methyl]-2,2'-dipyridylamine (L1), N-[bis(2-pyridyl)methyl]-2-pyridylamine (L2) and N-methyl-[bis(2-pyridyl)methyl]amine (Me-bispic) were synthesised and characterised. The first copper(I) complexes of the ligands L1 and L2 were also synthesised and structurally characterised. [(L1)ZnCl(2)] showed unexpected fluxional behaviour in solution and revealed an interesting intramolecular ligand exchange mechanism in the coordination sphere of the zinc ion. Furthermore, strong blue emission was observed under UV-light excitation.