Geometric and Electronic Structure Contributions to Cu/O2 Reactivity

Edward I. Solomon, Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, California, USA


Copper active sites in (Bio)Inorganic Chemistry are involved in reversible dioxygen binding, O₂ activation for electrophilic aromatic attack and hydrogen atom abstraction, and the four electron reduction of O₂ to water.  These have unique spectroscopic features reflecting novel geometric and electronic structures that are key to reactivity.  This presentation will provide an overview of this chemistry/spectroscopy/electronic structure/reactivity and extend the concepts developed to the active site in oxygen-activated Cu/ZSM-5 which selectively oxidizes methane to methanol at low temperature.