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Feature Article

Chem. Commun., 2009, 3317 - 3325, DOI: 10.1039/b900297a

Electrons from hydrogen

Seiji Ogo

The growing need for hydrogen-based fuel cells has driven research into hydrogenase (H2ase)—a natural enzyme that catalyses the extraction of electrons from H2 in water under ambient conditions. Unfortunately, the exact mechanism by which H2ase achieves this feat has remained a matter of some controversy until now, with many mechanisms being inconsistent with experimental data. Recently, however, we have been able to produce a successful catalytic mimic of H2ase that replicates key aspects of it. This paper begins with an overview of the research from many groups that preceded this discovery, followed by a detailed analysis of the key points that set our unique functional model apart—that is to say a proton-like hydride species, a surprisingly low-valent NiIRuI complex and the key insight that two molecules of H2 are required for electron extraction.

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