Metallocofactors that Activate Small Molecules: With Focus on Bioinorganic Chemistry (Structure and Bonding Book 179)

This volume highlights recent progress on the fundamental chemistry and mechanistic understanding of metallocofactors, with an emphasis on the major development in these areas from the perspective of bioinorganic chemistry. Metallocofactors are essential for all forms of life and include a variety of metals, such as iron, molybdenum, vanadium, and nickel. Structurally fascinating metallocofactors featuring these metals are present in many bacteria and mediate remarkable metabolic redox chemistry with small molecule substrates, including N2, CO, H2, and CO2. Current interest in understanding how these metallocofactors function at the atomic level is enormous, especially in the context of sustainably feeding and fueling our planet; if we can understand how these cofactors work, then there is the possibility to design synthetic catalysts that function similarly. Front Matter ....Pages i-vii Looking at Nitrogenase: Insights from Modern Structural Approaches (Belinda B. Wenke, Thomas Spatzal)....Pages 1-13 Current Understanding of the Biosynthesis of the Unique Nitrogenase Cofactor Core (Caleb J. Hiller, Lee A. Rettberg, Chi Chung Lee, Martin T. Stiebritz, Yilin Hu)....Pages 15-31 Recent Advances in the Chemical Synthesis of Nitrogenase Model Clusters (Kazuki Tanifuji, Yasuhiro Ohki)....Pages 33-61 The Catalytic Mechanisms of the Molybdenum and Tungsten Enzymes (Andrew M. Crawford, Julien J. H. Cotelesage, Roger C. Prince, Graham N. George)....Pages 63-100 The Role of the Pyranopterin Dithiolene Component of Moco in Molybdoenzyme Catalysis (Sharon J. Nieter Burgmayer, Martin L. Kirk)....Pages 101-151 Mechanism of Ni,Fe-Containing Carbon Monoxide Dehydrogenases (Holger Dobbek)....Pages 153-166 Back Matter ....Pages 167-169