Inorganic Chemistry

The general goal of our Chair for Bioinorganic Chemistry is elucidation of the metal-tuned redox processes of biological and catalytic relevance at the molecular level. In a focus is the activation of small molecules (superoxide radical anion (O2-), nitric oxide (NO),peroxynitrite (ONOO-), hydrogen sulphide (H2S)) by redox-active metal complexes, which can have physiological or pathophysiological consequences in biological systems, but at the same time can find application in bioinspired catalysis and biotechnology. We study reaction mechanisms to understand elementary reaction steps of complex bioinorganic processes and design efficient enzyme mimetics, metal based human pharmaceuticals and chemical catalysts. The approach is to rationally design bio-active metal complexes with desirable physiological effects based on understanding of their kinetic, thermodynamic, redox and mechanistic behavior.