Recently published results from MPI CEC scientists, have been chosen as a cover article for the Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics (<link http: www.rsc.org journals-books-databases about-journals pccp _blank internal link in current>PCCP) special themed issue “<link http: pubs.rsc.org en content articlepdf cp _blank internal link in current>Bunsentagung 2016: Basic Mechanisms in Chemical Energy Conversion”. The journal is a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry in honor of the upcoming Bunsentagung meeting in Rostock, Germany.

The study by lead author Stefan Hugenbruch, represents a collaborative effort between the research groups of Profs. Lubitz, Neese and DeBeer. The study focuses on synthetic mimics for the active site of [NiFe] hydrogenase, an enzyme that is capable of forming and splitting dihydrogen bonds under ambient conditions. As such, there is great interest in understanding the detailed mechanism in order to guide future knowledge-based catalyst design. Utilizing x-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy, the authors were able to obtain insights into the factors that favor hydride binding at the Fe versus the Ni.

The results highlight the importance of local geometry at the catalytic metal centers for optimizing hydride bonding interactions. Hence, these results provide important clues for improving the design of future hydrogen oxidation/reduction catalysts.

The research of both Prof. Lubitz and Prof. DeBeer will be featured in their plenary lectures at the upcoming <link http: bunsen.de bunsentagung2016.html _blank internal link in current>2016 Bunsentagung.