Nitrogen reduction to NH3 is a requisite transformation for life. While it is widely appreciated that the Fe-rich cofactors of nitrogenase enzymes facilitate this transformation, how they do so remains poorly understood. It is known that Fe is the only transition metal essential to all nitrogenases, and recent biochemical and spectroscopic data have implicated Fe as the likely site of N2 binding in FeMo-co. These observations motivate studies of functional Fe catalysts as models. In this talk, Fe complexes that catalyze the reduction of N2 to NH3 will be discussed. Our lab's most recent data for various Fe complexes, aimed at improving catalysis, providing mechanistic insight pertinent to the catalysis, and exposing new reactivity patterns, will be emphasized.

Nitrogen fixation with iron complexes

251st National Meeting (2016)

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.