Nature’s use of metalloenzymes to catalyze the transformation of a variety of small-molecules is vital to life itself. However, the mechanisms for many metalloenzymes are poorly understood, leading to large knowledge gaps and dire consequences for society regarding industrial energy production and sustainability. Our project seeks to better understand how Nature achieves these kinds of small-molecule transformations by synthesizing a series of model compounds which mimic the metal-containing active sites of various enzymes. The project is in its early stages, but we anticipate that the proposed work will afford unprecedented isolation of novel complexes directly related to reaction pathways found in Nature. Furthermore, the structural, electronic and reactivity data collected will be directly comparable to that already known for the enzymes, thus, allowing for a more comprehensive understanding of metalloprotein behavior.

Toward efficient molecular catalysis: A proposed investigation into soft-donor biomimetic complexes with V, Mo and W

251st National Meeting (2016)

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