Tags: Inorganic Seminar


Unzipping the ZIPs: Transport Mechanism and Substrate Specificity of ZIP Metal Transporters

Living organisms have evolved sophisticated systems to exploit unique properties of d-block metals for catalysis, cell signaling, and gene regulation. A challenge is how to efficiently and specifically uptake, excrete, and distribute/redistribute these low-abundance trace elements at the systemic and cellular levels. Transition metal transporters are central players in these processes by controlling the flux of metals across cell and organelle…


Direct Detection of Coupled Proton and Electron Transfers in Human Manganese Superoxide Dismutase

Human manganese superoxide dismutase is a critical oxidoreductase found in the mitochondrial matrix. Concerted proton and electron transfers are used by the enzyme to rid the mitochondria of O2•−. The mechanisms of concerted transfer enzymes are typically unknown due to the difficulties in detecting the protonation states of specific residues and solvent molecules at particular redox states. Here, neutron diffraction of two redox-controlled…


Cooperative Activation of O2 by Heteronuclear Assemblies

Dioxgyen (O2) activation and reduction are not only vital for aerobic life, but also essential to industrial applications such as sustainable fuel cells. Dioxgyen is clean, abundant, and a powerful four-electron oxidant, but also kinetically inert and requires activation. In Nature, the activation of O2 is often facilitated by transition metal centers at metalloenzyme active sites. For example, during the cellular respiration reaction,…


Borafluorenes, Borepins, and High Order Boraacenes: From Fundamental Redox Chemistry to Thermochromic Materials

            The incorporation of boron into conjugated organic molecules has emerged as a useful strategy to elicit interesting optical and electronic properties which cannot be obtained with the analogous all-carbon systems. Thus, the synthesis of organoboron heterocycles has been a topic of intense investigation across main-group, organic, and inorganic chemistry, as well as materials…


Biochemically Responsive MRI Contrast Agents

Magnetic Resonance Imaging is a diagnostic method used to image organs and soft tissue in the body. The instrument relies on the use of magnets and radiofrequency radiation to examine the proton nuclei of water within tissue and organs. Through use of contrast agents, the images acquired can have improved detail which is critical for diagnoses of tumors, inflammation, and other abnormalities. These agents utilize paramagnetic metals to induce…


A Mechanistic Study of Coproheme Decarboxylase

Heme is an essential cofactor required for numerous biological reactions in the vast majority of organisms, and its biosynthesis is a complex process. Three heme biosynthetic pathways have been identified, with the most recent being the coproporphyrin dependent (CPD) pathway. In the CPD pathway, coproporphyrinogen III is oxidized to coproporphyrin, followed by iron insertion into the tetrapyrrole, forming coproheme1. The final step of the CPD…


Value-Added Reutilization, Recycling of Lithium-Ion Batteries

The demand of lithium-ion batteries is quickly increasing largely due to the increased production of electric vehicles.  This rise in battery production will lead to an equivalent rise in waste as these batteries are consumed and discarded.  Currently only about 5% of lithium-ion batteries are recycled1.  This low level of recycling is in part due to the cost to recycle and the limitations of the current technologies available at…


Metalloenzyme-Catalyzed Oxidations of Nitric Oxide in Biosynthesis and Nitrosative Stress Protection

Metalloproteins catalyze nitric oxide (NO) chemistries in bioenergetics pathways, natural product biosynthesis pathways, and to protect against cell damage caused by nitrosative stress. Our lab is interested in the mechanisms of oxidative NO-dependent metalloenzymes involved in natural product biosynthesis and nitrosative stress protection. Understanding the mechanisms of these enzymes will enable the engineering of nitration biocatalysts and…


Structure and Dynamics of Enzyme-Ligand Interactions

Essential across all domains of life, enzymes often expedite challenging biological reactions by incorporating transition metal ions whose oxidation and spin states are coordinated with changes in atomic structure. While great strides have been made in the field of metalloenzymology, our understanding of these dynamic processes remains limited as the timescales on which they occur render visualization technically challenging. In this talk, I…


Advances in Carbon-Supported, Iron-Containing Oxygen Electrocatalytic Cathodes in Zinc-Air Batteries

As the population and its demand for electricity increases, the call for renewable energy has been growing ever louder. Unfortunately, these energy sources (namely wind and solar power) can not always meet real-time needs. In order to gain the most from these energy sources while being able to cover their gaps in production, the need for storage of excess energy at the grid-level has become apparent. Current and planned bulk-energy storage…
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