0000000001305754
AUTHOR
Luke J. Murphy
A Simple Complex on the Verge of Breakdown: Isolation of the Elusive Cyanoformate Ion
Cyanide Hitches a Ride Cyanide is a by-product of the biosynthesis of ethylene in plants and it has been somewhat puzzling how the ion is safely removed before it can shut down enzymatic pathways by coordination to catalytic iron centers. A proposed mechanism has implicated the cyanoformate ion—essentially, a weak adduct of cyanide and carbon dioxide—as the initial product, although its lifetime was uncertain. Murphy et al. (p. 75 ; see the Perspective by Alabugin and Mohamed ) crystallized this previously elusive adduct and found that its solution-phase stability varies inversely with the dielectric properties of the medium. The results bolster a picture in which the adduct shuttles the cy…
Structurally simple complexes of CO2
The ability to bind CO2 through the formation of low-energy, easily-broken, bonds could prove invaluable in a variety of chemical contexts. For example, weak bonds to CO2 would greatly decrease the cost of the energy-intensive sorbent-regeneration step common to most carbon capture technologies. Furthermore, exploration of this field could lead to the discovery of novel CO2 chemistry. Reduction of complexed carbon dioxide might generate chemical feedstocks for the preparation of value-added products, particularly transportation fuels or fuel precursors. Implementation on a large scale could help to drastically reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. However, literature examples of weak…
Structurally simple complexes of CO2
The ability to bind CO2 through the formation of low-energy, easily-broken, bonds could prove invaluable in a variety of chemical contexts. For example, weak bonds to CO2 would greatly decrease the cost of the energy-intensive sorbent-regeneration step common to most carbon capture technologies. Furthermore, exploration of this field could lead to the discovery of novel CO2 chemistry. Reduction of complexed carbon dioxide might generate chemical feedstocks for the preparation of value-added products, particularly transportation fuels or fuel precursors. Implementation on a large scale could help to drastically reduce CO2 concentrations in the atmosphere. However, literature examples of weak…
CCDC 986380: Experimental Crystal Structure Determination
Related Article: Luke J. Murphy, Katherine N. Robertson, Scott G. Harroun, Christa L. Brosseau, Ulrike Werner-Zwanziger, Jani Moilanen, Heikki M. Tuononen, Jason A.C. Clyburne|2014|Science|344|75|doi:10.1126/science.1250808