Admission requirements
BSc in MST with a major in Chemistry. Other candidates should have a solid background in coordination chemistry.
Description
Enzymes are very efficient in activation of small molecules such as O2, N2, CO2 and H2O and redox reactions in general are run very efficiently in Nature. These processes are very important for the overall energy infrastructure of cells. In this course focus lies on how these catalytic reactions take place at the inorganic cofactors and how one can use the same design principles efficiently in artificial catalytic systems.
Topics that will be discussed include
- How Nature deals with Energy
- Coordination Chemistry of Natural Systems
- Electronic Structure & Frontier Orbitals
- Electrochemistry of Molecular Systems
- Electron Transfer in Enzymes
- Proton Coupled Electron Transfer in Enzymes and Molecular Systems
- Hydrogenases and Proton Reduction Catalysis
- The Oxygen Evolving Center of Photosystem II
- Molecular Water Oxidation Catalysts
- Oxygenases
- Oxidases
- Reactive Oxygen Species and how Nature deals with them
- Enzymes of the Carbon Cycle
- Enzymes of the Nitrogen Cycle
At the end of the course students:
will have knowledge of principles of coordination chemistry
will have knowledge of principles in bioinorganic chemistry
will have an overview of the applications of transition metal catalyzed redox reactions in enzymes
will have knowledge of principles in redox catalysis relevant to the conversion of solar energy into chemical fuels and vice versa.
will be able to construct tentative catalytic mechanisms also for reactions that were not discussed
can digest scientific articles related to this course from the literature
are able to predict the electronics and reactivity for a particular transition metal site based on its structure.
Mode of instruction
Lectures and exercises
Language
English
Literature
Written exam
Scientific papers, lecture slides and exercises will be provided
Examination
written exam