1. Exploring Michaelis-Menten Kinetics and the Inhibition of Catalysis in a Synthetic Mimic of Catechol Oxidase: An Experiment for the Inorganic Chemistry or Biochemistry Laboratory
- Author
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Mark A. Chrisman, Michael J. Goldcamp, Alexis N. Rhodes, and Jared Riffle
- Abstract
This report describes a laboratory experiment for an undergraduate-level inorganic chemistry or biochemistry course involving the study of the kinetics of the catecholase activity of a synthetic nickel(II)-oximate complex. A model substrate, 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol(DBC), undergoes aerobic oxidation to 3,5-di-tert-butylbenzoquinone (DBQ) in the reaction. Students determine the initial rates of production of DBQ, measured by the increase of the absorption in the UV--vis spectrum at 400 nm; this was performed for solutions containing five separate substrate-to-catalyst ratios. Saturation kinetics was observed at high substrate-to-catalyst ratios, and the Michaelis--Menten model of enzymatic kinetics was applied to determine the kinetic parameters for the catalyst (kcat, Vmax, and Km). Students explored the ability of two antioxidants, l-glutathione and a-tocopherol, to inhibit the oxidation reaction. The experiment has been employed at a small, four-year college in the Inorganic Chemistry course for three semesters. The experiment successfully provided students with a hands-on experience of using spectroscopy to monitor the kinetics of an enzyme-like system, including producing relevant plots and data analysis of Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters. Students also examined the effects and roles of antioxidants in biochemical systems.
- Published
- 2023
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