Skip to main content
Biology LibreTexts

8E: Nitrogenase - A Reductive Use of Metal Clusters

  • Page ID
    5516
  • \( \newcommand{\vecs}[1]{\overset { \scriptstyle \rightharpoonup} {\mathbf{#1}} } \) \( \newcommand{\vecd}[1]{\overset{-\!-\!\rightharpoonup}{\vphantom{a}\smash {#1}}} \)\(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \(\newcommand{\id}{\mathrm{id}}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\) \( \newcommand{\kernel}{\mathrm{null}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\range}{\mathrm{range}\,}\) \( \newcommand{\RealPart}{\mathrm{Re}}\) \( \newcommand{\ImaginaryPart}{\mathrm{Im}}\) \( \newcommand{\Argument}{\mathrm{Arg}}\) \( \newcommand{\norm}[1]{\| #1 \|}\) \( \newcommand{\inner}[2]{\langle #1, #2 \rangle}\) \( \newcommand{\Span}{\mathrm{span}}\)\(\newcommand{\AA}{\unicode[.8,0]{x212B}}\)

    Learning Objectives

    • describe the structure, metal cofactors, and ligands of nitrogenase;
    • describe the path of electrons from the mobile electron carrier to the P cluster of nitrogenase;
    • discuss the role of ATP in the nitrogenase reaction;
    • draw and describe the Lowe and Thorneley cycle to show the sequential additions of electrons and protons to nitrogenase;
    • describe the properties of the E4 Janus intermediate and its role in backward and forward reactions in the cycle;
    • describe the role of H2 in the mechanism of nitrogenase;
    • describe the organometallic reactions oxidative addition and reductive elimination and their role in nitrogenase;
    • explain the mechanisms and changes in oxidation states for Fe ions and substrates/products for the first and second half of the nitrogenase reaction.


    This page titled 8E: Nitrogenase - A Reductive Use of Metal Clusters is shared under a CC BY-NC-SA license and was authored, remixed, and/or curated by Henry Jakubowski.

    • Was this article helpful?