- Faculty Affiliate, Energy Institute, Texas A&M Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), Division of Research
- Distinguished Professor, Chemistry, College of Science
Bio-inspired Catalysts for Hydrogen Production: The ultimate, home-run, goal of our work is to synthesize and develop a robust, highly active hydrogen-producing catalyst comprised of earth-abundant transition metals within a ligand environment that is inspired by the biological Figure 3hydrogenase (H2ase) enzyme active sites. Progress in precise structural modeling of the illusive "rotated" structure displayed in the as-isolated, mixed-valent FeIIFe state in the past decade has permitted in depth analysis of electronic structure by Mo ssbauer, EPR (ENDOR), and computational chemistry. New electrocatalysts for hydrogen production: The connection between the Fe(NO)2 unit and the Fe(CX)3 (X = O or N) unit found in hydrogenase enzyme active sites offers opportunity for design of new catalysts, one of which is shown. In this regard we explore the ability of N2S2 metal complexes to bind as metallodithiolate ligands to various metal acceptors. The properties of such complexes vary The connection of these to light harvesting molecules for dye sensitized, sacrificial electron donor, hydrogen production is also of interest. When Iron Meets Nitric Oxide: Good Chemistry, Intriguing Biology. The affinity of iron for diatomic molecules, O2, CO, N2, and NO, is central to the most important of life processes, including those of human physiology. Figure 6In this research area we target synthetic chemistry involving dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) that serve as biomimetics of products of FeS cluster degradation by excesses of NO, or as derived from the chelatable iron pool (CIP) in cells. The electronic ambivalence of the DNIC unit is expressed in the ease with which it interconverts between oxidized and reduced forms, {Fe(NO)2}9 and {Fe(NO)2}10, respectively (Enemark/Feltham notation), and serves as impetus to explore analogous reactions known to involve the CuII/CuI redox couple. The accessory ligands which stabilize one redox level over the other, including N-heterocyclic carb
Academic Articles361
- DeLaney, C., Sheng, Y., Pectol, D. C., Vantansever, E., Zhang, H., Bhuvanesh, N., ... Darensbourg, M. Y. (2021). Zinc thiotropolone combinations as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Dalton Transactions. 50(35), 12226-12233.
- Pectol, D. C., DeLaney, C. R., Zhu, J., Mellott, D. M., Katzfuss, A., Taylor, Z. W., Meek, T. D., & Darensbourg, M. Y. (2021). Dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) as inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease. Chemical Communications. 57(67), 8352-8355.
- Guerrero-Almaraz, P., Quiroz, M., Reibenspies, J. H., & Darensbourg, M. Y. (2021). Linear and Bent Nitric Oxide Ligand Binding in an Asymmetric Butterfly Complex: CoMoCo'.. Inorg Chem. 60(21), 15975-15979.
- Yang, X., DeLaney, C. R., Burns, K. T., Elrod, L. C., Mo, W., Naumann, H., ... Darensbourg, M. Y. (2021). Self-Assembled Nickel-4 Supramolecular Squares and Assays for HER Electrocatalysts Derived Therefrom.. Inorg Chem. 60(10), 7051-7061.
- Pectol, D. C., Khan, S., Elsabahy, M., Wooley, K. L., Lim, S., & Darensbourg, M. Y. (2020). Effects of Glutathione and Histidine on NO Release from a Dimeric Dinitrosyl Iron Complex (DNIC).. Inorg Chem. 59(23), 16998-17008.
Chapters5
- Bethel, R. D., & Darensbourg, M. Y. (2014). The Bioorganometallic Chemistry of Hydrogenase. Bioorganometallic Chemistry. 239-272. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
- Golden, M., Darensbourg, M., Irwin, J., & Frost, B. (2014). N,N-Bis(Mercaptoethyl)-1,4-Diazacycloheptane (H2BME-DACH) and its Nickel Complex: A Model for Bioinorganic Chemistry. Inorganic Syntheses: Volume 36. 231-240. John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
- Tye, J. W., Darensbourg, M. Y., & Hall, M. B. (2006). The Activation of Dihydrogen. Activation of Small Molecules. 121-158. Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
- Georgakaki, I. P., & Darensbourg, M. Y. (2003). Hydrogen Activation. Comprehensive Coordination Chemistry II. 549-568. Elsevier.
- Darensbourg, M. Y. (1985). Ion Pairing Effects on Transition Metal Carbonyl Anions. PROGRESS IN INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, VOL 47. Progress in Inorganic Chemistry. 221-274. John Wiley & Sons, Inc..
Conference Papers62
- Ding, S., Ghosh, P., Hall, M., & Darensbourg, M. (2018). Structure/function analysis of a series of bimetallic, hydrogenase-inspired, HER electrocatalysts. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 256,
- Pulukkody, R., Kyran, S. J., Bethel, R. D., Hsieh, C. H., Hall, M. B., Darensbourg, D. J., & Darensbourg, M. Y. (2014). Carbon Monoxide Induced Reductive Elimination of Disulfide in an N-Heterocyclic Carbene (NHC)/Thiolate Dinitrosyl Iron Complex (DNIC). JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 19, S419-S419.
- Haumann, M., Leidel, N., Chernev, P., Sigfridsson, K., Czech, I., Lambertz, C., ... Darensbourg, M. (2014). Electronic and molecular structures of active sites in [FeFe] hydrogenase and biomimetic model complexes. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 19, S214-S214.
- Popescu, C. V., Stoian, S. A., Hsieh, C. M., & Darensbourg, M. Y. (2014). Hyperfine Structure of Monovalent Iron in Hydrogenase Models: Mossbauer and Density Functional Studies. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 19, S521-S521.
- Darensbourg, M. Y., Hsieh, C., Lunsford, A. M., Ding, S., Reibenspies, J. H., & Hall, M. B. (2014). Resolving the Roles of Dissimilar Irons in a Proton Reduction Electrocatalyst: [(NO)Fe(N2S2)Fe(NO)(2)](+) and Its Reduced Analogue. JOURNAL OF BIOLOGICAL INORGANIC CHEMISTRY. 19, S139-S139.
- Research Honor Society Sigma Xi Recognizes 3 Texas A&M Faculty Members Texas A&M Today August 4, 2020
- Texas A&M Chemist Karen Wooley Elected To National Academy Of Sciences Texas A&M Today April 29, 2020
Principal Investigator2
- Biomimetics of the [FeFe]-H2ase enzyme active site (EAS) awarded by National Science Foundation 2013 - 2017
Co-Principal Investigator1
Investigator1
- REU Site: Sustainable Chemistry at Texas A&M University awarded by National Science Foundation 2019 - 2022
- CHEM362 Descrip Inorganic Chem Instructor
- CHEM462 Inorganic Chemistry Instructor
- CHEM491 Hnr-research Instructor
- CHEM491 Research Instructor
- CHEM491 Research: In-ab Instructor
- Ghosh, Pokhraj (2017-12). Hemi-Labile, Redox Active Metallodithiolates as Ligands for Bioinspired Proton Reduction Catalysts. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Chupik, Rachel Beth (2017-12). Developments in the Understanding of the Dinitrosyl Iron Unit: Its Stabilization, Reactivity, and Nitric Oxide Release. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Ding, Shengda (2017-12). The Computational Modeling of Organometallic Compounds and Reactions Inspired By Hydrogenases. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Lunsford, Allen Michael (2016-12). Bridging Thiolates in Metalloenzymes: From Model Complexes to Catalytic Small Molecule Activation. (Doctoral Dissertation)
- Crouthers, Danielle Jerine (2015-08). Synthetic Analogues of the Diiron Hydrogenase Enzyme Active Site and Possible Primordial H2-Producing Catalysts. (Doctoral Dissertation)