Bio-inspired enzymes for hydrogen fuel production.

Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have designed a synthetic molecule that mimics the hydrogen gas-producing chemical reaction performed by the ancient biological enzyme nickel-iron hydrogenase. The enzyme produces hydrogen using earth-abundant metals in its core, making it an attractive alternative to platinum, which is currently used as a catalyst in industrial hydrogen production. The team designed an organic molecule called a ligand that contains electron-donating atoms like nitrogen and sulfur, which can hold the nickel in place and support the two relevant paramagnetic states that produce hydrogen. The molecule could lead to further insights into how nature performs chemistry with small molecules like hydrogen.