Section 4 - Biological Electron Transfer Flashcards
Where does the energy of life stem from? How is it harvested?
- the sun
- directly via photosynthesis or indirectly using photosynthesising organisms as fuel
How is energy defined in electrochemistry?
a flow of electrons from fuel to oxidant
Give examples of fuels and oxidants
Fuels: Fats, sugars, hydrogen
oxidants: oxygen, nitrates, H+
What are the threee types of protein use for electron transfer?
- Blue Copper
- Iron-Sulphur
- Cytochromes
How can the reduction potential of a redox couple be tuned?
by altering the ligands coordinated to a metal centre
What are the reduction potentials of:
[Fe(OH2)6]3+
[Fe(CN)6]3-
[Fe(bpy)3]3+
1) 0.77 V
2) 0.36 V
3) 1.03 V
How can you lower reduction potential?
Use strong donors to stabilise a high oxidation state
What increases reduction potential?
Weak donors, pi acceptors and protons which stabilise low oxidation states
What affects reduction potential other than ligands?
- relative permativity
- media
- hydrogen bonding interactions
- neighbouring charges
How is the rate of electron transfer explained?
- Marcus Theory
- Consideres organisation energy
- low reorganisation energy means a faster rate
Describe type 1 blue copper proteins
- Small proteins that bind to a single Cu atom
- give intense blue colour in the oxidised state
Give examples of type 1 blue copper proteins
- Plant chloroplastoc plastocynins, transport electrons from Photosystem 1 to Photosystem 2 in photosynthesis
- Azurin which is found in bacteria and helps convert [NO3]- to N2
Describe the structure of spinach plastocyanin
- Three closely bound donors (2 His and 1 Cys)
- one weaker Met donor
Describe the structure of azurin
- similar to a spinach plastocyanin
- additional weak coordination from a Gly O atoms
How is the Cu centre protected in azurin and plastocyanin?
- Cu centre is protected from water by the protien
Describe the secondary structure of a Type 1 blue copper protien
- Beta barrel structure holds the Cu coordination sphere in a very rigid geometry
- coordination sphere suits both Cu (I) and Cu (II) to facilitate rapid transfer
How does bond length increase from Cu(II) to Cu (I) (generally)?
5-10 pm
How does bond length change from Cu(II) to Cu (I) in plastocyanin?
Cu-N-His37: 2.04-2.12
Cu-S-Cys84: 2.13-2.11
Cu-N-His87: 2.10-2.25
Cu-S-Met92: 2.9-2.9
How does bond length change from Cu(II) to Cu (I) in azurin?
Cu-N-His46: 2.08-2.13 Cu-S-Cys112: 2.15-2.26 Cu-N-His117: 2.00-2.15 Cu-S-Met121: 3.11-3.23 Cu-O-Gly45: 3.13-3.22
What is the distinctive feature of a Type 1 Blue Cu protein in UV-Vis?
What causes it?
- intense peak at 600 nm in the blue oxidised state
- caused by S(Cys) to Cu (II) LMCT
What is the distinctive feature of a Type 1 Blue Cu protein in EPR?
What causes it?
- Simple Cu(II) complexes have large EPR hyperfine coupling to the Cu (I = 3/2 for 65Cu and 67Cu).
- Blue copper proteins have smaller coupling
- The electron is delocalised onto the Cys S and “spends more time” away from the Cu centre. Calculated to be 40% of the time on the S(Cys) leading to a highly covalent Cu- S(Cys) bond.
What is the reduction potential of a Type 1 Blue Copper Protein?
- High but variable
- 350 mV compared to less than 100 mV for a typical Cu Complex