Urea Decomposition Mechanism by Dinuclear Nickel Complexes.

Urease is an enzyme containing a dinuclear nickel active center responsible for the hydrolysis of urea into carbon dioxide and ammonia. Interestingly, inorganic models of urease are unable to mimic its mechanism despite their similarities to the enzyme active site. The reason behind the discrepancy in urea decomposition mechanisms between inorganic models and urease is still unknown. To evaluate this factor, we synthesized two bis-nickel complexes, [Ni2L(OAc)] (1) and [Ni2L(Cl)(Et3N)2] (2), based on the Trost bis-Pro-Phenol ligand (L) and encompassing different ligand labilities with coordination geometries similar to the active site of jack bean urease. Both mimetic complexes produced ammonia from urea, (1) and (2), were ten- and four-fold slower than urease, respectively. The presence and importance of several reaction intermediates were evaluated both experimentally and theoretically, indicating the aquo intermediate as a key intermediate, coordinating urea in an outer-sphere manner. Both complexes produced isocyanate, revealing an activated water molecule acting as a base. In addition, the reaction with different substrates indicated the biomimetic complexes were able to hydrolyze isocyanate. Thus, our results indicate that the formation of an outer-sphere complex in the urease analogues might be the reason urease performs a different mechanism.

Association of Yeast Alcohol Dehydrogenase with Superparamagnetic Nanoparticles: Improving the Enzyme Stability and Performance.

Alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH) from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was covalently attached, via glutaraldehyde, to magnetite nanoparticles (MagNP) previously coated with aminopropyltriethoxysilane (MagNP/APTS), or with a silica shell followed by the APTS coating (MagNP@SiO2/APTS). In both cases, a great improvement of enzymatic activity has been observed for the ethanol-acetaldehyde conversion. The MagNP@SiO2/APTS-ADH system exhibited the best stability with respect to pH and temperature. Its residual activity after 10 successive recovery cycles and 24 h storage, was maintained around 80% in comparison with 20% for the MagNP/APTS system, and a null activity for free ADH. Luminescence measurements for the immobilized enzyme indicated the occurrence of conformational changes on ADH, contributing for its improved catalytic performance.