9412736 Wilson Rice University Drs. Lon J. Wilson, Chemistry Department, Rice University, and David M. Stanbury, Chemistry Department, Auburn University, are supported by the Inorganic, Bioinorganic, and Organometallic Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division for a study of the redox properties and electron transfer kinetics of copper coordination compounds in which the coordination number of the metal does not change during oxidation or reduction. A series of coordination number invariant (CNI) complexes in which the copper is 6, 5, 4, or 3 coordinate will be prepared and characterized by Wilson. Kinetic studies will then be undertaken by Stanbury to determine self-exchange rates and activation parameters for outer sphere electron transfer involving these complexes. A combination of the structural, energetic, and kinetic results will lead to an understanding of the factors which influence electron transfer in copper complexes. Copper ions in metalloproteins play important roles in most living organisms. Prominent among these is the facilitation of electron transport within biological systems. In this study the factors which control the rate of electron transfer between adjacent copper centers will be assessed. Specifically, the rigidity of the environment around a copper may play an important role in fixing this rate and the importance of this effect will be evaluated by examining electron transfer in copper compounds which do not undergo large structural changes when electrons are added or removed from the metal. The ultimate objective is a complete understanding of the electron transfer processes which occur in copper containing proteins.
