U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science: Parrel Model Studies for Cytochrome P-450 and Methane Monooxygenase.

9982088

Que

This award supports a 2-year collaborative research project between Dr. Lawrence Que, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities and Professor Wonwoo Nam, EWHA Womans' University, Korea. The proposed collaboration focuses on mechanistic studies on synthetic heme and nonheme iron complexes as models for their biological analogs. Combining the expertise of Professor Nam on heme complexes and Dr. Que on nonheme complexes, the collaborators will compare and contrast the reactivities of heme and nonheme iron catalysts in hydrocarbon oxidations.

The cooperative project comprises of two parts. The first part consists of mechanistic studies on alkane hydroxylation and alkene eposidation by iron catalysts. The reactivity of heme and nonheme iron complexes will be compared under various reaction conditions such as solvent and oxidant. The second part of the project is the spectroscopic characterization of reaction intermediates when they are identified during the reaction. The correlation of the reactivity and the spectroscopic properties of the intermediates will provide valuable information for the mechanisms of the enzymatic reactions in both the heme and the nonheme chemistry.

This project will be performed in conjunction with Professor Wonwoo Nam, EWHA Womans' University, Korea under the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program. This project is relevant to the objectives of the U.S.-Korea Cooperative Science Program, which seeks to increase the level of cooperation between U.S. and Korean scientists and engineers through the exchange of scientific information, ideas, skills, and techniques and through collaboration on problems of mutual benefit. Korean participation is supported by the Korea Science and Engineering Foundation (KOSEF).