Structural characterization of a non-heme iron active site in zeolites that hydroxylates methane

Benjamin E.R. Snyder, Lars H. Böttger, Max L. Bols, James J. Yan, Hannah M. Rhoda, Ariel B. Jacobs, Michael Y. Hu, Jiyong Zhao, E. Ercan Alp, Britt Hedman, Keith O. Hodgson, Robert A. Schoonheydt, Bert F. Sels, Edward I. Solomon

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

Iron-containing zeolites exhibit unprecedented reactivity in the low-temperature hydroxylation of methane to form methanol. Reactivity occurs at a mononuclear ferrous active site, α-Fe(II), that is activated by N2O to form the reactive intermediate α-O. This has been defined as an Fe(IV)=O species. Using nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy coupled to X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we probe the bonding interaction between the iron center, its zeolite lattice-derived ligands, and the reactive oxygen. α-O is found to contain an unusually strong Fe(IV)=O bond resulting from a constrained coordination geometry enforced by the zeolite lattice. Density functional theory calculations clarify how the experimentally determined geometric structure of the active site leads to an electronic structure that is highly activated to perform H-atom abstraction.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)4565-4570
Number of pages6
JournalProceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
Volume115
Issue number18
DOIs
StatePublished - May 1 2018
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Density functional theory
  • Methane partial oxidation
  • Nuclear resonance vibrational spectroscopy
  • X-ray absorption spectroscopy
  • Zeolites

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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