Urea decomposition facilitated by a urease model complex: a theoretical investigation. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Density functional theory calculations were used to examine the role of the urease model complex [Ni2(bdptz)(micro-OH)(micro-H2O)(H2O)2](OTs)3(bdptz=1,4-bis(2,2'-dipyridylmethyl)-phthalazine; OTs=tosylate) in the degradation of urea. An elimination mechanism that converts urea to ammonium cyanate was investigated in detail. The lowest energy pathway involves urea coordination through the oxygen atom to a Ni center followed by protonation of a urea NH2 group by the bridging water ligand. Subsequent rotation of the protonated urea, followed by deprotonation of the NH2 by a bridging OH ligand generates the bound, disproportionated urea substrate, HNCONH3, from which ammonium cyanate was produced.

published proceedings

  • Dalton Trans

altmetric score

  • 1

author list (cited authors)

  • Beddie, C., Webster, C. E., & Hall, M. B.

citation count

  • 16

complete list of authors

  • Beddie, Chad||Webster, Charles Edwin||Hall, Michael B

publication date

  • November 2005