Redox activation mechanism

A redox activation mechanism usually involves a change in oxidation state of the metal (but could also be ligand-centered). Typically, the oxidation state changes from a state in which... 

Spectroscopic studies have been instrumental in elucidating the catalytic mechanism of Ni-Fe hydrogenases. A great deal of controversy concerning this mechanism arises from the fact that, as the as the X-ray crystallographic analysis has shown, there are at least three potential redox-active species at the enzyme s active site the thiolate ligands (75) and the Fe (65) and Ni (9) ions. 

Figure 2.1 Mechanism for the oxygenation of iipids by iipoxygenase under aerobic conditions. LH, fatty acid LOOM, fatty-acid hydroperoxide Fe, the redox active centre of the enzyme.

The alternative mechanism (Fig. 18.16, mechanism B) is based on the fully reduced [(dipor)Co2] state as the redox-active form of the catalyst. The redox equilibrium between the mixed-valence and fully reduced forms is shifted toward the catalytically inactive mixed-valence state, and hence controls the amount of catalytically active species in the catalytic cycle and contributes to the — 60 mV/pH dependence. The fully reduced form is known to bind O2 (probably reversibly) in organic solvents [LeMest et al., 1997 Fukuzumi et al., 2004], and the resulting diamagnetic adducts are typically viewed as a pair of Co ions bridged by a peroxide, which are of course quite common in the O2 chemistry of nonporphyrin Co complexes. To obtain the —60 mV/pH dependence of the catalytic turnover rate, a protonation step is required either prior to the TDS or as the TDS. Mechanism B cannot be extended to monometallic cofacial porphyrins or heterometallic porphyrins with a redox-inert ion, but there is no reason to assume that the two classes of cofacial porphyrin catalysts, with rather different catalytic performance (Fig. 18.15), must follow the same mechanism. 

At high anodic potentials Prussian blue converts to its fully oxidized form as is clearly seen in cyclic voltammograms due to the presence of the corresponding set of peaks (Fig. 13.2). The fully oxidized redox state is denoted as Berlin green or in some cases as Prussian yellow . Since the presence of alkali metal ions is doubtful in the Prussian blue redox state, the most probable mechanism for charge compensation in Berlin green/Prussian blue redox activity is the entrapment of anions in the course of oxidative reaction. The complete equation is ... 

Particular cases are potassium selective potentiometric sensors based on cobalt [41] and nickel [38, 42] hexacyanoferrates. As mentioned, these hexacyanoferrates possess quite satisfactory redox activity with sodium as counter-cation [18]. According to the two possible mechanisms of such redox activity (either sodium ions penetrate the lattice or charge compensation occurs due to entrapment of anions) there is no thermodynamic background for selectivity of these sensors. In these cases electroactive films seem to operate as smart materials similar to conductive polymers in electronic noses. 

Metallothioneins (MT) are unique 7-kDa proteins containing 20 cysteine molecules bounded to seven zinc atoms, which form two clusters with bridging or terminal cysteine thiolates. A main function of MT is to serve as a source for the distribution of zinc in cells, and this function is connected with the MT redox activity, which is responsible for the regulation of binding and release of zinc. It has been shown that the release of zinc is stimulated by MT oxidation in the reaction with glutathione disulfide or other biological disulfides [334]. MT redox properties led to a suggestion that MT may possesses antioxidant activity. The mechanism of MT antioxidant activity is of a special interest in connection with the possible antioxidant effects of zinc. (Zinc can be substituted in MT by some other metals such as copper or cadmium, but Ca MT and Cu MT exhibit manly prooxidant activity.)... 

Figure 13.4 A proposed mechanism for all three classes of ribonucleotide reductases. Classes I and II RNRs require an active site Glu residue and a pair of redox-active Cys. Class HI RNRs lack the Glu and one of the Cys, and use formate as the reductant. (From Stubbe etal., 2001. Copyright 2001, with permission from Elsevier.)...

The outer sphere mechanism may take place in all redox active systems while inner sphere mechanism requires substitutionally labile reactants and products. 

Most PET fluorescent sensors for cations are based on the principle displayed in Figure 10.7, but other photoinduced electron transfer mechanisms can take place with transition metal ions (Fabbrizzi et al., 1996 Bergonzi et al., 1998). In fact, 3d metals exhibit redox activity and electron transfer can occur from the fluorophore... 

Diacyl peroxides are, however, also electron transfer oxidants, which according to a theoretical analysis should possess standard potentials, °[(ArCOO)2/RCOO RCOO ) of around 0.6 V in water, provided that the electron transfer process is of the dissociative type (50) (Eberson, 1982c). Such a value brings thermal ET steps involving DBPO within reach for redox-active organic molecules, as for example suggested by the so-called CIEEL mechanism of chemiluminescence (Schuster, 1982). 

Possible Ways to Move a Species from the Bulk of the Solution to the Electrode Surface. There are three physical mechanisms by which a redox-active species can move from the mass of the solution to the electrode surface. 

The possibility that there might be long-range electron transfer between redox-active centers in enzymes was first suspected by biochemists working on the mechanism of action of metalloenzymes such as xanthine oxidase which contain more than one metal-based redox center. In these enzymes electron transfer frequently proceeds rapidly but early spectroscopic measurements, notably those by electron paramagnetic resonance, failed to provide any indication that these centers were close to one another. 

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