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Preparation and detailed characterization of metal cation doped layered manganese oxides (MyMnOx/CFP). Metal doping leads to tuning of the average manganese oxidation state and an OER performance boost under different pH conditions.

Microsecond time-resolved step-scan FTIR difference spectroscopy was used to study photosystem I (PSI) from Thermosynechococcus vestitus BP-1 (T. vestitus, formerly known as T. elongatus) at 77 K. Photoaccumulated (P700+ – P700) FTIR difference spectra were also obtained for PSI from T. vestitus at both 77 and 293 K. The FTIR difference spectra are presented here for the first time. To greatly extend upon these FTIR studies nanosecond time-resolved infrared difference spectroscopy was also used to study PSI from T. vestitus at 293 K. Nanosecond infrared spectroscopy has never been used to study PSI samples at physiological temperatures, and here it is shown that such an approach has great value as it allows a direct probe of electron transfer down both branches in PSI. In PSI at 293 K, the infrared flash-induced absorption changes indicate electron transfer down the A- and B-branches is characterized by time constants of 33 and 364 ns, respectively, in good agreement with visible spectroscopy studies. These time constants are associated with forward electron transfer from A1– to FX on the B- and A-branches, respectively. At several infrared wavelengths flash-induced absorption changes at 293 K recover in tens to hundreds of milliseconds. The dominant decay phase is characterized by a lifetime of 128 ms. These millisecond changes are assigned to radical pair recombination reactions, with the changes being associated primarily with P700+ rereduction. This conclusion follows from the observation that the millisecond infrared spectrum is very similar to the photoaccumulated (P700+ – P700) FTIR difference spectrum.

In Class Ib Ribonukleotidreduktasen (RNRs) aktiviert ein Dimangan(II)-Cluster Superoxid (O2⋅−) anstelle von molekularem Sauerstoff (O2), um eine hochvalente MnIII-O2-MnIV-Spezies zu bilden, die für die Oxidation von Tyrosin zum Tyrosyl-Radikal verantwortlich ist. Im vorliegenden biomimetischen Ansatz wird ein Thiolat-gebundener Dimangan-Komplex [MnII2(BPMT)(OAc)2](ClO)4 (BPMT=(2,6-Bis{[bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amino]methyl}-4-methylthiophenolat) (1) synthetisiert und dessen Reaktion mit O2⋅− zur Bildung des [(BPMT)MnO2Mn]2+-Komplexes 2 gezeigt. Resonanz-Raman-Untersuchungen zeigen das Vorliegen einer O-O-Bindung in 2, während die ESR-Analyse ein Signal bei g=2 mit 16 Linien für St=urn:x-wiley:00448249:media:ange202217076:ange202217076-math-0001 aufzeigt, das typischerweise mit einem MnIIIMnIV-Kern assoziiert wird, wie es auch in Class Ib RNR detektiert wurde. Anders als zuvor publizierte Mn-O2-Mn-Komplexe, die durch O2⋅−-Aktivierung an Mn2-Zentren gebildet wurden, ist 2 ein geeignetes elektrophiles Oxidationsmittel für Aldehyd-Deformylierungsreaktionen und Phenol-Oxidationsreaktionen, sodass es eines der besten strukturellen und funktionalen Modelle der Class Ib RNRs darstellt.

Cobalt‐iron oxyhydroxides (CoFeOOHx) are among the most active catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, their redox behavior and the electronic and chemical structure of their active sites are still ambiguous. To shed more light on this, the complete and rapid reconstruction of four helical cobalt‐iron borophosphates with different Co:Fe ratios into disordered cobalt‐iron oxyhydroxides can be achieved, which are electrolyte‐penetrable and thus most transition metal sites can potentially participate in the OER. To track the redox behavior and to identify the active structure, quasi in situ X‐ray absorption spectroscopy is applied. Iron in high oxidation states ≥ IV (Fe4+) and its substantial redox behavior with an average oxidation state of around 2.8 to above 3.2 is detected. Furthermore, a 6% contraction of the Fe‐O bond length compared to Fe3+OOH references is observed during OER and a strong distortion of the [MO6] octahedra is identified. It is hypothesized that this bond contraction is caused by the presence of oxyl radicals and that di‐µ‐oxyl radical bridged cobalt‐iron centers are the active sites. It is anticipated that the detailed electronic and structural description can substantially contribute to the debate on the nature of the active site in bimetallic iron‐containing OER catalysts.

A hydrogen processing strategy is developed to enable bulk LaNi5 to attain high activity and long‐term stability toward the electrocatalytic oxygen evolution reaction (OER). By a combination of in situ Raman and quasi in situ X‐ray absorption (XAS) spectra, secondary‐electron‐excited scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) patterns as well as the Rietveld method and density functional theory (DFT) calculations, it is discovered that hydrogen‐induced lattice distortion, grain refinement, and particle cracks dictate the effective reconstruction of the LaNi5 surface into a porous hetero‐nanoarchitecture composed of uniformly confined active γ‐NiOOH nanocrystals by La(OH)3 layer in the alkaline OER process. This significantly optimizes the charge transfer, structural integrity, active‐site exposure, and adsorption energy toward the reaction intermediates. Benefiting from these merits, the overpotential (322 mV) at 100 mA cm−2 for the hydrogen‐processed OER catalyst deposited on nickel foam is reduced by 104 mV as compared to the original phase. Notably, it exhibits remarkable stability for 10 days at an industrial‐grade current density of more than 560 mA cm−2 in alkaline media.

Photosynthesis fuels life on Earth by storing solar energy in chemical form. Today’s oxygen-rich atmosphere has resulted from the splitting of water at the protein-bound manganese cluster of photosystem II during photosynthesis. Formation of molecular oxygen starts from a state with four accumulated electron holes, the S4 state—which was postulated half a century ago1 and remains largely uncharacterized. Here we resolve this key stage of photosynthetic O2 formation and its crucial mechanistic role. We tracked 230,000 excitation cycles of dark-adapted photosystems with microsecond infrared spectroscopy. Combining these results with computational chemistry reveals that a crucial proton vacancy is initally created through gated sidechain deprotonation. Subsequently, a reactive oxygen radical is formed in a single-electron, multi-proton transfer event. This is the slowest step in photosynthetic O2 formation, with a moderate energetic barrier and marked entropic slowdown. We identify the S4 state as the oxygen-radical state; its formation is followed by fast O–O bonding and O2 release. In conjunction with previous breakthroughs in experimental and computational investigations, a compelling atomistic picture of photosynthetic O2 formation emerges. Our results provide insights into a biological process that is likely to have occurred unchanged for the past three billion years, which we expect to support the knowledge-based design of artificial water-splitting systems.

In many metalloenzymes sulfur-containing ligands participate in catalytic processes, mainly via the involvement in electron transfer reactions. In a biomimetic approach, we now demonstrate the implication of S-ligation in cobalt mediated Oxygen Reduction Reactions (ORR). A comparative study between the catalytic ORR capabilities of the four-nitrogen bound [Co(cyclam)]2+ (cyclam = 1,5,8,11-tetraaza-cyclotetradecane) (1) and the S-containing analog [Co(S2N2-cyclam)]2+ (S2N2-cyclam = 1,8-dithia-5,11-diaza-cyclotetradecane, (2) reveals improved catalytic performance once the chalcogen is introduced in the Co coordination sphere. Trapping and characterization of the intermediates formed upon dioxygen activation at the Co(II) centers in 1 and 2 point to the involvement of sulfur in the O2 reduction process as the key for the improved catalytic ORR capabilities of 2.

In class Ib ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs) a dimanganese(II) cluster activates superoxide (O2⋅−) rather than dioxygen (O2), to access a high valent MnIII−O2−MnIV species, responsible for the oxidation of tyrosine to tyrosyl radical. In a biomimetic approach, we report the synthesis of a thiolate‐bound dimanganese complex [MnII2(BPMT)(OAc)2](ClO)4 (BPMT=(2,6‐bis{[bis(2‐pyridylmethyl)amino]methyl}‐4‐methylthiophenolate) (1) and its reaction with O2⋅− to form a [(BPMT)MnO2Mn]2+ complex 2. Resonance Raman investigation revealed the presence of an O−O bond in 2, while EPR analysis displayed a 16‐line St=1/2 signal at g=2 typically associated with a MnIIIMnIV core, as detected in class Ib RNRs. Unlike all other previously reported Mn−O2−Mn complexes, generated by O2⋅− activation at Mn2 centers, 2 proved to be a capable electrophilic oxidant in aldehyde deformylation and phenol oxidation reactions, rendering it one of the best structural and functional models for class Ib RNRs.

In vielen Metallenzymen sind Schwefel-enthaltende Liganden an Elektronen-Transfer-Reaktionen beteiligt. In dem hier diskutierten biomimetischen Ansatz wird der Einfluss einer Schwefelkoordination auf eine Kobalt-katalysierte Sauerstoff-Reduktionsreaktion (ORR) demonstriert. Ein Vergleich des ORR-Vermögens eines vierfach Stickstoff-koordinierten [Co(Cyclam]2+-Komplexes (1; Cyclam=1,5,8,11-Tetraaza-cyclotetradecan) und dessen Schwefel-Analogons [Co(S2N2-Cyclam)]2+ (2; S2N2-Cyclam=1,8-Dithia-5,11-diazacyclotetradecan) zeigt verbesserte katalytische Eigenschaften mit dem in die Ligandensphäre am Kobalt eingeführten Chalkogen. Isolierung und Charakterisierung der Intermediate, die sich im Zuge der Sauerstoffaktivierung an den Kobalt(II)-Zentren von 1 und 2 bilden, identifizieren eine Beteiligung des Schwefels am O2-Reduktionsprozess als entscheidenden Faktor für die verbesserten Eigenschaften von 2 bei der katalytischen ORR.

Diiron cofactors in enzymes perform diverse challenging transformations. The structures of high valent intermediates Q in methane monooxygenase and X in ribonucleotide reductase are debated since Fe amp; 8722;Fe distances of 2.5 3.4 amp; 8197; were attributed to open or closed cores with bridging or terminal oxido groups. We report the crystallographic and spectroscopic characterization of a FeIII2 amp; 956; O 2 complex 2 with tetrahedral 4C centres and short Fe amp; 8722;Fe distance 2.52 amp; 8197; , persisting in organic solutions. 2 shows a large Fe K pre edge intensity, which is caused by the pronounced asymmetry at the TD FeIII centres due to the short Fe amp; 8722; amp; 956; amp; 8722;O bonds. A amp; 8776;2.5 amp; 8197; Fe amp; 8722;Fe distance is unlikely for six coordinate sites in Q or X, but for a Fe2 amp; 956; O 2 core containing four coordinate or by possible extension five coordinate iron centres there may be enough flexibility to accommodate a particularly short Fe amp; 8722;Fe separation with intense pre edge transition. This finding may broaden the scope of models considered for the structure of high valent diiron intermediates formed upon O2 activation in biology

Nanocrystalline or amorphous cobalt oxyhydroxides (CoCat) are promising electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). While having the same short range order, CoCat phases possess different electrocatalytic properties. This phenomenon is not conclusively understood, as multiple interdependent parameters affect the OER activity simultaneously. Herein, a layered cobalt borophosphate precatalyst, Co(H2O)2[B2P2O8(OH)2]∙H2O, is fully reconstructed into two different CoCat phases. In marked contrast to previous reports, this reconstruction is not initiated at the surface but at the electrode substrate to catalyst interface. Ex- and in situ investigations of the two borophosphate derived CoCats, as well as the prominent CoPi and CoBi identify differences in the Tafel slope/range, buffer binding and content, long-range order, number of accessible edge sites, redox activity, and morphology. Considering and interconnecting these aspects together with proton mass transport limitations, we provide a comprehensive picture explaining the different OER activities. The most decisive factors are the buffers used for reconstruction, the number of edge sites that are not inhibited by irreversibly bond buffers, and the morphology of the catalysts. With this acquired knowledge, an optimized OER system is realized operating in near neutral potassium borate media at 1.62±0.03 VRHE yielding 250 mA/cm² at 65 °C for one month without degrading performance.

After a brief background on Otto Heinrich Warburg (1883–1970), and some of his selected research, we provide highlights, in English, of three of his papers in the 1940s—unknown to many as they were not originally published in English. They are: two brief reports on Photosynthesis, with Wilhelm Luttgens, originally published in German, in 1944: ‘Experiment on assimilation of carbonic acid’; and ‘Further experiments on carbon dioxide assimilation’. This is followed by a regular paper, originally published in Russian, in 1946: ‘The photochemical reduction of quinone in green granules’. Since the 1944 reports discussed here are very short, their translations are included in the Appendix, but that of the 1946 paper is provided in the Supplementary Material. In all three reports, Warburg provides the first evidence for and elaborates on light-driven water oxidation coupled to reduction of added benzoquinone. These largely overlooked studies of Warburg are in stark contrast to Warburg’s well-known error in assigning the origin of the photosynthetically formed dioxygen to carbonate.

S=2 oxoiron(IV) species act as reactive intermediates in the catalytic cycle of nonheme iron oxygenases. The few available synthetic S=2 FeIV=O complexes known to date are often limited to trigonal bipyramidal and very rarely to octahedral geometries. Herein we describe the generation and characterization of an S=2 pseudotetrahedral FeIV=O complex 2 supported by the sterically demanding 1,4,7‐tri‐tert‐butyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane ligand. Complex 2 is a very potent oxidant in hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) reactions with large non‐classical deuterium kinetic isotope effects, suggesting hydrogen tunneling contributions. For sterically encumbered substrates, direct HAA is impeded and an alternative oxidative asynchronous proton‐coupled electron transfer mechanism prevails, which is unique within the nonheme oxoiron community. The high reactivity and the similar spectroscopic parameters make 2 one of the best electronic and functional models for a biological oxoiron(IV) intermediate of taurine dioxygenase (TauD‐J)., A highly reactive S=2 pseudotetrahedral oxoiron(IV) complex 2 supported by a sterically demanding 1,4,7‐tri‐tert‐butyl‐1,4,7‐triazacyclononane ligand has been synthesized and spectroscopically characterized as one of the best electronic and functional models for a biological oxoiron(IV) intermediate of taurine dioxygenase (TauD‐J).

Chloroquine (CQ) is a first-choice drug against malaria and autoimmune diseases. It has been co-administered with zinc against SARS-CoV-2 and soon dismissed because of safety issues. The structural features of Zn-CQ complexes and the effect of CQ on zinc distribution in cells are poorly known. In this study, state-of-the-art computations combined with experiments were leveraged to solve the structural determinants of zinc-CQ interactions in solution and the solid state. NMR, ESI-MS, and X-ray absorption and diffraction methods were combined with ab initio molecular dynamics calculations to address the kinetic lability of this complex. Within the physiological pH range, CQ binds Zn2+ through the quinoline ring nitrogen, forming [Zn(CQH)Clx(H2O)3-x](3+)-x (x = 0, 1, 2, and 3) tetrahedral complexes. The Zn(CQH)Cl3 species is stable at neutral pH and at high chloride concentrations typical of the extracellular medium, but metal coordination is lost at a moderately low pH as in the lysosomal lumen. The pentacoordinate complex [Zn(CQH)(H2O)4]3+ may exist in the absence of chloride. This in vitro/in silico approach can be extended to other metal-targeting drugs and bioinorganic systems.

All studies on oxygen-evolution reaction by Mn oxides in the presence of cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) have been so far carried out by synthesizing Mn oxides in the first step. And then, followed by the investigation of the Mn oxides in the presence of oxidants for oxygen-evolution reaction (OER). This paper presents a case study of a new and promising strategy for in situ catalyst synthesis by the adding MnII to either CAN or KMnO4 /CAN solution, resulting in the formation of Mn-based catalysts for OER. The catalysts were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Both compounds contained nano-sized particles that catalyzed OER in the presence of CAN. The turnover frequencies for both catalysts were 0.02 (mmol O 2 /molMn ⋅s).

Water splitting is a promising reaction for storing sustainable but intermittent energies. In water splitting, water oxidation is a bottleneck, and thus different catalysts have been synthesized for water oxidation. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are among the highly efficient catalysts for water oxidation, and so far, MOF-based catalysts have been divided into two categories: MOF-derived catalysts and direct MOF catalysts. In particular, a nickel/cobalt MOF is reported to be one of the best direct catalysts for water oxidation. For the first-row transition MOF structures in general, a hypothesis is that the harsh conditions of OER could cause the decomposition of organic ligands and the formation of water-oxidizing oxide-based structures. By electrochemical methods, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, a nickel/cobalt MOF known to be a highly efficient catalyst for water oxidation is shown to form Ni/Co oxide, making it a candidate catalyst for oxygen evolution. MOFs are interesting precatalysts for metal oxide water-oxidizing catalysts, but control experiments are necessary for determining whether a certain MOF or other MOFs are true catalysts for OER. Thus, finding a true and direct MOF electrocatalyst for OER is a challenge.

We analyze the stability of anodically electrodeposited cobalt hydroxide films during operation as electrocatalysts for water oxidation and show that the stability considerations of these films are...

In soluble methane monooxygenase enzymes (sMMO), dioxygen (O2) is activated at a diiron(II) center to form an oxodiiron(IV) intermediate Q that performs the challenging oxidation of methane to meth...

Co encapsulated in N-doped carbon nanotubes (Co-NCNT) catalysts are of high interest as bifunctional electrocatalyst material for both efficient oxygen evolution and reduction (OER/ORR) in applications of rechargeable metal-air batteries. Up to now, the role played by the functional metal species in OER/ORR is still insufficiently understood. The main focus of our research is to shed light on the mechanistic role of the Co species that serve as active sites in the bi-functional Co-NCNT catalysts. It is found that S700 exhibits an outstanding OER/ORR activity. We thus hypothesize that CoII and CoIII clusters predominately function as active sites in the OER and ORR processes, respectively. Furthermore, OER/ORR activity for Co-NCNT catalyst primarily correlates to eg occupation. A near-unity occupancy of the eg orbital of S700 is revealed to be the cause for the maximum intrinsic OER/ORR activity, which provides guidelines for the design of highly active catalysts.

Zinc deficiency is commonly attributed to inadequate absorption of the metal. Instead, we show that body zinc stores in Drosophila melanogaster depend on tryptophan consumption. Hence, a dietary amino acid regulates zinc status of the whole insect—a finding consistent with the widespread requirement of zinc as a protein cofactor. Specifically, the tryptophan metabolite kynurenine is released from insect fat bodies and induces the formation of zinc storage granules in Malpighian tubules, where 3-hydroxykynurenine and xanthurenic acid act as endogenous zinc chelators. Kynurenine functions as a peripheral zinc-regulating hormone and is converted into a 3-hydroxykynurenine–zinc–chloride complex, precipitating within the storage granules. Thus, zinc and the kynurenine pathway—well-known modulators of immunity, blood pressure, aging, and neurodegeneration—are physiologically connected.

Significance Zinc deficiency in the human population, a major public health concern, can also be a consequence of nutritional deficiency in protein uptake. The discovery that tryptophan metabolites 3-hydroxykynurenine and xanthurenic acid are major zinc-binding ligands in insect cells establishes the kynurenine pathway as a regulator of systemic zinc homeostasis. Many biological processes influenced by zinc and the kynurenine pathway, including the regulation of innate and acquired immune responses to viral infections, have not been studied in light of the direct molecular links revealed in this study.

Copper electrodes are especially effective in catalysis of C

A mononuclear nonheme cobalt(II) complex, [(TMG(3)tren)Co(II)(OTf)](OTf) (1), activates dioxygen in the presence of hydrogen atom donor substrates, such as tetrahydrofuran and cyclohexene, resulting in the generation of a cobalt(II)-alkylperoxide intermediate (2), which then converts to the previously reported cobalt(IV)-oxo complex, [(TMG(3)tren)Co(IV)(O)](2+)-(Sc(OTf)(3))(n)] (3), in >90% yield upon addition of a redox-inactive metal ion, Sc(OTf)(3). Intermediates 2 and 3 represent the cobalt analogues of the proposed iron(II)-alkylperoxide precursor that converts to an iron(IV)-oxo intermediate via O-O bond heterolysis in pterin-dependent nonheme iron oxygenases. In reactivity studies, 2 shows an amphoteric reactivity in electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions, whereas 3 is an electrophilic oxidant. To the best of our knowledge, the present study reports the first example showing the generation of cobalt-oxygen intermediates by activating dioxygen at a cobalt(II) center and the reactivities of the cobalt-oxygen intermediates in oxidation reaction.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is pivotal in sustainable fuel production. Neutral-pH OER reduces operational risks and enables direct coupling to electrochemical CO2 reduction, but typically is hampered by low current densities. Here, the rate limitations in neutral-pH OER are clarified. Using cobalt-based catalyst films and phosphate ions as essential electrolyte bases, current–potential curves are recorded and simulated. Operando X-ray spectroscopy shows the potential-dependent structural changes independent of the electrolyte phosphate concentration. Operando Raman spectroscopy uncovers electrolyte acidification at a micrometer distance from the catalyst surface, limiting the Tafel slope regime to low current densities. The electrolyte proton transport is facilitated by diffusion of either phosphate ions (base pathway) or H3O+ ions (water pathway). The water pathway is not associated with an absolute current limit but is energetically inefficient due to the Tafel-slope increase by 60 mV dec−1, shown by an uncomplicated mathematical model. The base pathway is a specific requirement in neutral-pH OER and can support high current densities, but only with accelerated buffer-base diffusion. Catalyst internal phosphate diffusion or other internal transport mechanisms do not limit the current densities. A proof-of-principle experiment shows that current densities exceeding 1 A cm−2 can also be achieved in neutral-pH OER.

Structural characterization of transient electrochemical species in the sub-millisecond time scale is the holy grail of electrochemistry. Presently, common time resolution of structural spectro-electrochemical methods is about 0.1 seconds. Herein, a transient spectro-electrochemical Raman setup of easy implementation is described which allows sub-ms time resolution. The technique studies electrochemical processes by initiating the reaction with an electric potential (or current) pulse and analyses the product with a synchronized laser pulse of the modified Raman spectrometer. The approach was validated by studying a known redox driven isomerization of a Ru-based molecular switch grafted, as monolayer, on a SERS active Au microelectrode. Density-functional-theory calculations confirmed the spectral assignments to sub-ms transient species. This study paves the way to a new generation of time-resolved spectro-electrochemical techniques which will be of fundamental help in the development of next generation electrolizers, fuel cells and batteries.

In Nature, Mefford, Chueh, and colleagues describe how they investigated the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) in situ at sub-micrometer resolution. Nanoscale variations of current density, geometry, and oxidation states show that the currently emerging and potentially paradigm-shifting picture of redox-active, structurally dynamic catalyst materials might need to include the nanoscale.

In various non-heme iron oxygenases the Fe(II) center is coordinated by 2 N and 1 O atoms of the 2-His-2-carboxylate facial triad; however, most artificial model complexes bear only N-based ligands. In an effort to closely mimic the coordination environment in α-ketoglutarate dependent oxygenases, we have now employed the Me2tacnO ligand (4,7-dimethyl-1-oxa-4,7-diazacyclononane) in the synthesis of the complexes [(Me2tacnO)FeCl2]2 (1-NNO), [(Me2tacnO)FeCl3] (1 b-NNO) and [(Me2tacnO)Fe(BF)Cl] (2-NNO; BF=benzoylformate). The weaker donation of the O atom in the ligand was found to result in stronger binding of the ligand in trans-position to the O-atom of the ancillary ligand as compared to the corresponding complexes involving the Me3tacn (1,4,7-trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane) ligand. Furthermore, by stopped-flow techniques we could detect an intermediate (3-NNO) in the reaction of 2-NNO with O2. The spectroscopic features of 3-NNO agree with the involvement of an Fe(IV)-oxo intermediate and hence this study represents the first detection of such an intermediate in the O2 activation of artificial α-ketoglutarate Fe(II) complexes. Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation)

Copper electrodes are especially effective in catalysis of C-2 and further multi-carbon products in the CO2 reduction reaction (CO2RR) and therefore of major technological interest. The reasons for the unparalleled Cu performance in CO2RR are insufficiently understood. Here, the electrode-electrolyte interface was highlighted as a dynamic physical-chemical system and determinant of catalytic events. Exploiting the intrinsic surface-enhanced Raman effect of previously characterized Cu foam electrodes, operando Raman experiments were used to interrogate structures and molecular interactions at the electrode-electrolyte interface at subcatalytic and catalytic potentials. Formation of a copper carbonate hydroxide (CuCarHyd) was detected, which resembles the mineral malachite. Its carbonate ions could be directly converted to CO at low overpotential. These and further experiments suggested a basic mode of CO2/carbonate reduction at Cu electrodes interfaces that contrasted previous mechanistic models: the starting point in carbon reduction was not CO2 but carbonate ions bound to the metallic Cu electrode in form of CuCarHyd structures. It was hypothesized that Cu oxides residues could enhance CO2RR indirectly by supporting formation of CuCarHyd motifs. The presence of CuCarHyd patches at catalytic potentials might result from alkalization in conjunction with local electrical potential gradients, enabling the formation of metastable CuCarHyd motifs over a large range of potentials.

The manganese cluster of photosystem II has been the focus of intense research aiming to understand the mechanism of H

Bimetallic active sites in enzymes catalyze small-molecule conversions that are among the top 10 challenges in chemistry. As different metal cofactors are typically incorporated in varying protein scaffolds, it is demanding to disentangle the individual contributions of the metal and the protein matrix to the activity. Here, we compared the structure, properties, and hydrogen peroxide reactivity of four homobimetallic cofactors (Mn(II)2, Fe(II)2, Co(II)2, Ni(II)2) that were reconstituted into a four-helix bundle protein. Reconstituted proteins were studied in solution and in crystals. All metals bind with high affinity and yield similar cofactor structures. Cofactor variants react with H2O2 but differ in their turnover rates, accumulated oxidation states, and trapped peroxide-bound intermediates. Varying the metal composition thus creates opportunities to tune the reactivity of the bimetallic cofactor and to study and functionalize reactive species.