O2 and N2O Activation by Binuclear Trinuclear and Tetranuclear Cu Clusters in Biology

摘要

Copper cluster sites in biology exhibit unique spectroscopic features reflecting exchange coupling between oxidized Cu’s and e⁻ delocalization in mixed valent sites. These novel electronic structures play critical roles in O2 binding and activation for electrophilic aromatic attack and H atom abstraction, the 4e⁻/4H⁺ reduction of O2 to H2O, and in the 2e⁻/2H⁺ reduction of N2O. These electronic structure/reactivity correlations are summarized below.