Research Results
Aug 4, 2020
- Press Release
- Joint Research Paper
A press release announcing the joint research findings of Prof. Yutaka Amao and Asst. Prof. Akimitsu Miyaji (Tokyo Institute of Technology) has been issued.
What is the mechanism by which the viologen cation radical improves the catalytic activity of formate dehydrogenase in reducing carbon dioxide?
Key points of this study
- We have employed a combination of experimental enzyme kinetics and theoretical calculations to elucidate the precise mechanism by which the cation radical of methyl viologen*1, a coenzyme that significantly enhances the activity of formate dehydrogenase, facilitates the conversion of carbon dioxide to formate in artificial photosynthesis systems.
- This research will offer invaluable insights into the design and development of coenzymes that can efficiently catalyze the conversion of carbon dioxide to organic molecules, thereby advancing the field of artificial photosynthesis.
*1 Cation radical: a species that has a positive charge and also possesses an unpaired electron.
Summary
Professor Yutaka Amao (Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, Osaka City University) and Assistant Professor Akimitsu Miyaji (Department of Applied Chemistry at the School of Materials and Chemical Technology, Tokyo Institute of Technology) have elucidated the electron transfer mechanism of the methylviologen cation radical in the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate catalyzed by formate dehydrogenase in an artificial photosynthesis system.
In the development of catalysts as a key technological element for creating artificial photosynthesis systems that convert carbon dioxide into organic molecules using solar energy, the essential interactions between the methylviologen cation radical (MV•+) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) during the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate have not been fully elucidated.
Through a combination of experimental and theoretical investigations, including the development of several kinetic models and density functional theory (DFT) calculations to determine the binding mode and electronic state of MV.+ within FDH, we elucidated the mechanism of electron transfer by MV.+ in the reduction of carbon dioxide to formate.
This research has been published in Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP), a specialized journal of physical chemistry published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).
Financial Information
The results of this research were obtained through the Osaka City University Core of Excellence at Research Center for Artificial Photosynthesis Joint Usage/Research Project, the Academic Research Grant Fund's International Collaborative Research Acceleration Fund (International Collaborative Research Enhancement (B)), and Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research on New Academic Areas.
Publication Information
| Publications: | Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (PCCP)(Royal Society of Chemistry発刊) |
|---|---|
| Title of Paper: | How does methylviologen cation radical supply two electrons to the formate dehydrogenase in the catalytic reduction process of CO2 to formate? |
| Author: | Akimitsu Miyaji, Yutaka Amao |
| URL: | https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlehtml/2020/cp/d0cp02665d |