AC-Kolloquium - Asst. Prof. Lucile Chatelain, Université de Bretagne Occidentale UBO, Brest

'Bioinspired {Fe2S2} and Uranium Complexes for Small-Molecule Activation (H2, CO2 and N2)'

Addressing the global energy and climate challenges requires sustainable approaches to both energy production and the valorization of abundant small molecules. Therefore, the activation of H2, CO2 and N2 is a fundamental challenge that drives the development of new molecular systems. The presentation will cover work in this field inspired by natural enzymes.
[FeFe]-hydrogenases efficiently catalyze H2 into protons under mild conditions.1 Bioinspired {Fe2S2} complexes have demonstrated that proton reduction is more accessible than H2 oxidation. To activate H2, we formed inter- and intramolecular pairs between a {Fe2S2} complex coordinated by phosphine ligands and a borane-type Lewis acid.2–4 Our group demonstrated heterolytic activation of H2, validating a Frustrated Lewis Pair approach. ...