Chen Xudong, Professor of Nanjing Normal University, made another breakthrough in the field of the synthesis of Fe-S clusters related to bnf-fe-mo-coenzyme

Recently, Professor Chen Xudong's research group of Nanjing Normal University made another breakthrough in the field of synthesis of iron sulfur clusters related to nitrogenase iron molybdenum coenzyme The research results were published in angelw Chem Int ed (DOI: 10.1002 / anie 201908968) under the title of "controlled incorporation of nitrides into w-fe-s clusters" Nitrogen is one of the basic elements that make up living organisms Nitrogen cycle is also one of the most important cycles in nature Among them, it is a crucial step from free nitrogen widely existing in the atmosphere to combined nitrogen In industry, this transformation is realized by the process of ammonia synthesis under high temperature and pressure, which produces an amazing energy consumption; however, the nitrogenase in nature can efficiently convert nitrogen into ammonia in the mild environment of organism Obviously, if we can achieve biomimetic nitrogen fixation, it is of great significance to solve the population, food, energy and environment problems that human beings are facing at present Scientists have been exploring the mechanism of biological nitrogen fixation since they found the nitrogen fixation effect of biological nitrogen fixation enzyme It is found that the nitrogen fixation activity center of Mo based biological nitrogen fixation enzyme with the highest nitrogen fixation efficiency is iron molybdenum coenzyme Therefore, the research on the structure and function of iron molybdenum coenzyme has become an important basis for exploring the mechanism of biological nitrogen fixation Ferromolybdenum coenzyme is one of the most complex inorganic molecules found in nature by human beings It took decades to study the structure of ferromolybdenum coenzyme Only in 2011, the complete structure was finally determined The complex structure of ferromolybdenum coenzyme makes the research of its synthesis face a huge challenge, and the related research almost stagnates, which seriously hinders the research of biological nitrogen fixation mechanism and even bionic nitrogen fixation Professor Chen Xudong's research group has been committed to promoting the research on the structural synthesis and functional simulation of ferromolybdenum coenzyme molecules Over the past few years, it has concentrated on the accumulation Following the important research results published on PNAs in 2018, it has made breakthrough progress again recently It has cleverly constructed the edge containing μ 4-linked monatomic n 3-ligands through two different synthesis routes -Iron sulfur cluster of heteronuclear ligands with bicubic alkane structure This is the first case in the world to introduce monatomic nitrogen ligands into iron sulfur clusters, successfully solving the problem of introducing monatomic ligands into iron sulfur clusters, providing a new method, strategy and thinking for the synthesis of iron molybdenum coenzyme At the same time, this study has an important reference significance for the process of nitrogen activation and intermediates of bnf-fe-mo-coenzyme It shows one of the possible forms of nitrogen element in the related clusters in the process of BNF, and has an important enlightening significance for the study of nitrogen fixation mechanism of bnf-fe-mo-coenzyme The first author of this paper is Xu Gan, a 2018 doctoral student of the Chinese Academy of Chemical Sciences, and the corresponding author is Professor Chen Xudong.