Small molecule mimics of hydrogenases: hydrides and redox

This tutorial review is aimed at chemical scientists interested in understanding and exploiting the remarkable catalytic behavior of the hydrogenases. The key structural features are analyzed for the active sites of the two most important hydrogenases. Reactivity is emphasized, focusing on mechanism and catalysis. Through this analysis, gaps are identified in the synthesis of functional replicas of these fascinating and potentially useful enzymes.

• CN
  Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
• NI
  National Institutes of Health
• UO
  University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign