Mechanistic implications of proton transfer coupled to electron transfer.

The kinetics of electron transfer for the reactions cis-[Ru(IV)(bpy)2(py)(O)]2+ + H+ + [Os(II)(bpy)3]2+ <==> cis-[Ru(III)(bpy)2(py)(OH)]2+ + [Os(III)(bpy)3]3+ and cis-[Ru(III)(bpy)2(py)(OH)]2+ + H+ + [Os(II)(bpy)3]2+ <==> cis-[Ru(II)(bpy)2(py)(H2O)]2+ + [Os(III)(bpy)3]3+ have been studied in both directions by varying the pH from 1 to 8. The kinetics are complex but can be fit to a double "square scheme" involving stepwise electron and proton transfer by including the disproportionation equilibrium, 2cis-[Ru(III)(bpy)2(py)(OH)]2+ <==> (3 x 10(3) M(-1) x s(-1) forward, 2.1 x 10(5) M(-1) x s(-1) reverse) cis-[Ru(IV)(bpy)2(py)(O)]2+ + cis-[Ru(II)(bpy)2(py)(H2O)]2+. Electron transfer is outer-sphere and uncoupled from proton transfer. The kinetic study has revealed (1) pH-dependent reactions where the pH dependence arises from the distribution between acid and base forms and not from variations in the driving force; (2) competing pathways involving initial electron transfer or initial proton transfer whose relative importance depends on pH; (3) a significant inhibition to outer-sphere electron transfer for the Ru(IV)=O2+/Ru(III)-OH2+ couple because of the large difference in pK(a) values between Ru(IV)=OH3+ (pK(a) < 0) and Ru(III)-OH2+ (pK(a) > 14); and (4) regions where proton loss from cis-[Ru(II)(bpy)2(py)(H2O)]2+ or cis-[Ru(III)(bpy)2(py)(OH)]2+ is rate limiting. The difference in pK(a) values favors more complex pathways such as proton-coupled electron transfer.

NMR and kinetic characterization of the interaction between French bean plastocyanin and horse cytochrome c.

French bean plastocyanin is shown by stopped-flow kinetics to oxidize horse cytochrome c with k (298 K, I = 0.10 M) = 5.1 X 10(6) M-1 X s-1. The activation parameters demonstrate a satisfactory isokinetic correlation with those previously reported for plastocyanin-cytochrome f reactions. NMR line broadening and shifts of the hyperfine shifted resonances of cytochrome c(III) reveal that strong 1:1 complexes are formed with plastocyanin. The negative patch of plastocyanin and the heme edge region of cytochrome c are shown to be the interacting sites by the hyperfine shift perturbations and competitive binding experiments with Gd3+, which associates selectively with the negative patch of plastocyanin. Complexation of plastocyanin and cytochrome c causes a small change in the heme electronic structure, but there is no NMR or optical evidence for significant conformational changes at either metal center. The rate of the reverse electron-transfer reaction within the plastocyanin-cytochrome c complex has been directly measured by NMR line broadening (krev (298 K) = 87 s-1). A rate for the forward intracomplex electron-transfer reaction (kf (298 K) = 4.8 X 10(3) s-1) has been calculated from krev and the optically measured equilibrium constant.