O2 and N2O Activation by Bi-, Tri-, and Tetranuclear Cu Clusters in Biology

Abstract
Copper-cluster sites in biology exhibit unique spectroscopic features reflecting exchange coupling between oxidized Cu’s and e delocalization in mixed valent sites. These novel electronic structures play critical roles in O2 binding and activation for electrophilic aromatic attack and H-atom abstraction, the 4e/4H+ reduction of O2 to H2O, and in the 2e/2H+ reduction of N2O. These electronic structure/reactivity correlations are summarized below.