Electronic and molecular structures of the active-site H-cluster in [FeFe]-hydrogenase determined by site-selective X-ray spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations
The [FeFe]-hydrogenase (HydA1) from green algae is the minimal enzyme for efficient biological hydrogen (H2) production. Its active-site six-iron center (H-cluster) consists of a cubane, [4Fe4S]H, cysteine-linked to a diiron site, [2Fe]H. We utilized the spin-polarization of the iron Kβ X-ray fluorescence emission to perform site-selective X-ray absorption experiments for spectral discrimination o