Reactivity of Bioinspired Magnesium-Organic Networks under CO2 and O2 Exposure

HURTADO SALINAS, DANIEL E.; SARASOLA, ANE; STEL, BART; COMETTO, FERNANDO P.; KERN, KLAUS; ARNAU, ANDRÉS; LINGENFELDER, MAGALÍ

ACS Omega

American Chemical Society

Año: 2019 vol. 4 p. 9850 - 9850

hotosynthesis is the model system for energy conversion. It uses CO2 as a starting reactant to convert solar energy into chemical energy, i.e., organic molecules or biomass. The first and rate-determining step of this cycle is the immobilization and activation of CO2, catalyzed by RuBisCO enzyme, the most abundant protein on earth. Here, we propose a strategy to develop novel biomimetic two-dimensional (2D) nanostructures for CO2 adsorption at room temperature by reductionist mimicking of the Mg-carboxylate RuBisCO active site. We present a method to synthesize a 2D surface-supported system based on Mg2+ centers stabilized by a carboxylate environment and track their structural dynamics and reactivity under either CO2 or O2 exposure at room temperature. The CO2 molecules adsorb temporarily on the Mg2+ centers, producing a charge imbalance that catalyzes a phase transition into a different configuration, whereas O2 adsorbs on the Mg2+ center, giving rise to a distortion in the metal-or