Document Type

Honors Project

First Advisor

Dr. Ellen Mitchell

Degree Award Date

Spring 2005

Keywords

SYNTHESIS, HYDROGENASE-LIKE DURON CATALYST MODEL

Disciplines

Chemistry

Abstract

The hydrogenases are a class of iron and nickel enzymes that bacteria use to produce and digest hydrogen gas. The active sites of the iron-only hydrogenases contain two iron atoms surrounded by CO ligands, CN- ligands, and sulfur atoms from the cysteine amino acid. 1 This project studied the synthesis of a hydrogenase-like diiron catalyst model. The three-step procedure developed by Wen-Feng Liaw2 of Taiwan was followed. Infrared spectra, the decomposition point, a GC-MS spectrum, NMR, and elemental analysis support the successful synthesis ofbis(triphenylphophine)imminium tetracarbonyl cyanoiron(0), [PPN][Fe(CO)iCN)] (1), in the first step. The second step product, [PPN][Fe(CO)i(CN)(S,NH-C6H4)] (2), appears not to have been synthesized as evidenced by the absence of a precipitate. Future work would be done to successfully synthesize 2, [PPNh[(CN)(CO)2Fe(μ-S,S-C6H4)lz (3) from the third step, and a new catalyst model similar to 3. -

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