UC Irvine

Nitrogenase cofactors can be extracted into an organic solvent to catalyze the reduction of cyanide (CN(-)), carbon monoxide (CO), and carbon dioxide (CO2) without using adenosine triphosphate (ATP), when samarium(II) iodide (SmI2) and 2,6-lutidinium triflate (Lut-H) are employed as a reductant and a proton source, respectively. Driven by SmI2, the cofactors catalytically reduce CN(-) or CO to C1-C4 hydrocarbons, and CO2 to CO and C1-C3 hydrocarbons. The C-C coupling from CO2 indicates a unique Fischer-Tropsch-like reaction with an atypical carbonaceous substrate, whereas the catalytic turnover of CN(-), CO, and CO2 by isolated cofactors suggests the possibility to develop nitrogenase-based electrocatalysts for the production of hydrocarbons from these carbon-containing compounds.