Spectroscopic studies of molybdenum and tungsten enzymes

Molybdenum and tungsten are the only second and third-row transition elements with a known function in living systems. Molybdenum fulfills functional roles in enzyme systems in almost all living creatures, from bacteria through plants to invertebrates and mammals, while tungsten takes the place of molybdenum in some prokaryotes, especially the hyperthermophilic archaea. The enzymes contain the metal bound by an unusual sulfur-containing cofactor. Despite possessing common structural elements, the enzymes are remarkable in the range of different chemical reactions that are catalyzed, although almost all are two-electron oxidation–reduction reactions in which an oxygen atom is transferred to or from the molybdenum. The functional roles filled by molybdenum enzymes are equally diverse; for example, they play essential roles in microbial respiration, in the uptake of nitrogen in green plants, in controlling insect eye color, and in human health. Spectroscopic studies, in particular electron paramagnetic resonance and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, have played an essential role in our understanding of the active site structures and catalytic mechanisms of the molybdenum and tungsten enzymes. This review summarizes the role spectroscopy has played in the state of our knowledge of the molybdenum and tungsten enzymes, with particular regard to structural information on the molybdenum sites.     

Metal and cofactor insertion

Cells require metal ions as cofactors for the assembly of metalloproteins. Principally one has to distinguish between metal ions that are directly incorporated into their cognate sites on proteins and those metal ions that have to become part of prosthetic groups, cofactors or complexes prior to insertion of theses moieties into target proteins. Molybdenum is only active as part of the molybdenum cofactor, iron can be part of diverse Fe-S clusters or of the heme group, while copper ions are directly delivered to their targets. We will focus in greater detail on molybdenum metabolism because molybdenum metabolism is a good example for demonstrating the role and the network of metals in metabolism: each of the three steps in the pathway of molybdenum cofactor formation depends on a different metal (iron, copper, molybdenum) and also the enzymes finally harbouring the molybdenum cofactor need additional metal-containing groups to function (iron sulfur-clusters, heme-iron).     

The History of the Discovery of the Molybdenum Cofactor and Novel Aspects of its Biosynthesis in Bacteria

Biosynthesis of the molybdenum cofactor in bacteria is described with a detailed analysis of each individual reaction leading to the formation of stable intermediates during the synthesis of molybdopterin from GTP. As a starting point, the discovery of molybdopterin and the elucidation of its structure through the study of stable degradation products are described. Subsequent to molybdopterin synthesis, the molybdenum atom is added to the molybdopterin dithiolene group to form the molybdenum cofactor. This cofactor is either inserted directly into specific molybdoenzymes or is further modified by the addition of nucleotides to the molybdopterin phosphate group or the replacement of ligands at the molybdenum center.     

Complexometric determination of molybdenum(VI)

In acidic medium molybdenum(VI) forms a stable complex on boiling with excess of DCTA and hydroxylamine hydrochloride. Molybdenum can then be determined by back-titration of the excess of DCTA either with zinc chloride at pH 5-5.5 or with thorium nitrate at pH 3-4.5, Xylenol Orange being used as indicator in both cases. A simple method for the determination of molybdenum in the presence of moderate amounts of tungsten is also described.     

Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum in the presence of tungsten using gallein and benzyldodecyldimethylammonium bromide

The chemical similarity between molybdenum and tungsten makes the direct spectrophotometric determination of these metals impossible. Usually the determination is preceded by a separation step. In order to find out a selective and quantitative isolation method, coprecipitation with thioacetamide and Cu(II) as a carrier; MnO₂; cupferron, tannin and crystal violet; quinolin-8-ol, tannin and thioacetamide, were examined. Molybdenum(VI) could be determined in the presence of 100-fold mass excess of tungsten after precipitation with thioacetamide and Cu(II). The remaining methods could only be applied if mass excess of W is equal to or lower with respect to Mo. For the resolution of this problem, the derivative spectrophotometry was used. The studies of different order spectra of gallein complexes of molybdenum, tungsten and their mixtures have shown that the fifth-derivative spectra allows one to eliminate the interfering effects of W on the determination of Mo. At 650 nm the spectral features of tungsten is zeroing while the value of the fifth-derivative spectrum of mixture of Mo and W corresponds only to the concentration of molybdenum in the examined solution. Beer’s law is obeyed in the range 0.32–0.80 μg/mL of Mo. The developed derivative spectrophotometric method and the most selective pre-separation method, based on the precipitation of molybdenum(VI) sulphide, were applied to the determination of Mo in Armco iron and steel. The accuracy of the elaborated methods was confirmed by comparison of the determined content of Mo with certified values as well as with the result obtained by the reference ICP-OES technique.     

Photometric determination of traces of molybdenum after sulfide precipitation

A photometric method for traces of molybdenum in silicate rocks and similar materials is described, in which molybdenum is isolated as the sulfide from the 1acidified leach of the sodium carbonate melt. Antimony(V) sulfide is used as collector. Molybdenum is thus separated from phosphorus, vanadium, tungsten, uranium, and some other elements. The final determination is made by the familiar thiocyanate-stannous chloride method with isopropyl ether as extractant. The method is particularly suitable for the determination of molybdenum, in the presence of relatively much tungsten.     

Untersuchungen an Metallkatalysatoren. XVII. Phasenaufbau,Dispersität und Dehydrieraktivität Molybdän- und wolframmodifizierter Palladiumkatalysatoren

Investigations on Metal Catalysts. XVII. Phase Structure, Dispersity, and Dehydrogenation Activity of Palladium Catalysts Modifided by Molybdenum and Tungsten Molybdenum and tungsten containing palladium catalysts were prepared by reduction of mixtures from Pd(NO₃)₂ with MoO₃ and WO₃, respectively, with hydrogen at 600°C and 800°C. The powders were characterized by means of several methods: Determination of the oxidation state for molybdenum and tungsten, X-ray measurements, N₂ adsorption, CO chemisorption, H₂ sorption, dehydrogenation of cyclohexane. The properties of the samples (heated at 600°C) are determined to a high degree by the co-existence of the palladium phase as well as the molybdenum and tungsten oxide, respectively, in the mean oxidation state +4. The after-reduction at 800°C leads to a great portion of metallic molybdenum and tungsten in the concerned catalysts. There are references that the treatment at 800°C in the presence of hydrogen causes for the Pd? Mo catalysts an increase of the palladium content in the surface of the crystallites.     

Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum by extraction of a green molybdenum(v) species

A simple method is described for the rapid spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum in samples containing 1-60% Mo, with satisfactory accuracy. Molybdenum is reduced with excess of hydrazine sulphate in boiling 5.5M hydrochloric acid and extracted with isoamyl acetate from 7M hydrochloric acid. The green colour is measured at 720 nm against a reagent blank. Beer's law is obeyed over the range 0.08-5.4 mg of molybdenum per ml. Interference from iron and copper is removed by adding stannous chloride and thiourea respectively in slight excess. Titanium, vanadium, niobium, chromium, tungsten, nickel, uranium, and antimony do not interfere even in large amounts. Only cobalt interferes seriously.     

The determination of vanadium,molybdenum and tungsten by infrared spectroscopy

The infrared spectra of the 8-hydroxyquinolinates of molybdenum, vanadium and tungsten in the region 3–15 μ were investigated. It was found possible to determine the elements quantitatively, singly or in pairs, with an error of about 3%. Molybdenum was determined at 10.80 μ and 10.93 μ, vanadium at 10.50 μ, and tungsten at 10.61 μ or 10.90 μ.     

Colorimetric determination of molybdenum with disodium-1,2-dihydroxybenzene-3,5-disulfonate

A procedure for the colorimetric determination of molybdenum with disodium-1, 2-dihydroxybenzene-3,5-disulfonate (Tiron) has been presented. The maximum absorbancy of the yellow colored complex is at 390 mμ the optimum pH range is 6.6-7.5; and the Tiron concentration is 1.5-2%.The color reaction conforms to Beer's law and has a practical sensitivity of 0.1 p.p.m. molybdenum. The color formation is instantaneous and stable for at least three weeks. There is no temperature effect over the range of 15° — 40° C.The tolerances of the colored complex to many diverse ions have been established. The separation of molybdenum from interfering ions is accomplished by precipitation of the former with α-benzoinoxime. Molybdenum and tungsten are separated photometrically.The colorimetric determination of molybdenum with Tiron was successfully applied to a variety of steels and other materials.     

The estimation of molybdenum and of tungsten by dithiol

A method is described for the precise estimation of mg quantities of molybdenum and tungsten in plant and animal tissues, etc. Molybdenum and tungsten are separated as the corresponding cupferrates and estimated as their respective dithiol complexes by preferential formation of the molybdenum-dithiol complex in strongly acid solution in the cold, followed by the formation at pH 0.5–2.0 of the tungstendithiol complex at 90–95° C.     

Determination of molybdenum by atomic-absorption spectrometry after separation by 5,5'-methylenedisalicylohydroxamic acid extraction and further reaction with thiocyanate and tin (II)

A method is described for the determination of molybdenum down to the microgram level, in samples of soil, steels, fertilizers and pharmaceuticals. After attack with acids, this element is separated from matrix elements by extraction of its 5,5'-methylenedisalicylohydroxamic acid (MEDSHA) complex from 4M hydrochloric acid, into methyl isobutyl ketone. Molybdenum is determined by atomic-absorption spectrometry (AAS), after conversion of the Mo-MEDSHA complex into the MoSCN(-) complex in the organic phase. The detection limit is 0.03 microg/ml, with a relative standard deviation not exceeding 1.5% at a level of 2 microg/ml. The method is highly selective and suffers only from interference by tungsten.     

Determination of tungsten in silicates and natural waters

Coprecipitation with hydrous manganese dioxide is used for the concentration of tungsten from natural waters (including sea water) and from solutions prepared from silicate rocks and sediments by hydrofluoric acid attack. After dissolution of the hydrous manganese dioxide precipitate in acidified sulphur dioxide solution, cation excliange is used to separate tungsten and molybdenum from other coprecipitated elements, hydrogen peroxide being used as eluant. Molybdenum is separated from tungsten by extraction of its dithiol complex from 24 N hydrochloric acid medium containing citric acid and can be determined photometrically. After destruction of citric acid, tungsten is determined photometrically with dithiol. The overall cliemical yield of th analytical process is 94±1%. The standard deviation of the method is ±0.010 μg for sea water (0.116 μg W/l) and ca 0.05 μg/g for siliceous sediments containing 0.5–1.0 μg W/g.     

Separation of molybdenum(VI) from other elements by solvent extraction with dibenzo-18-crown-6 from hydrochloric acid medium

DB-18-C6 was used for the extractive separation analysis of molybdenum(VI) from a range of other elements. Molybdenum(VI) was quantitatively extracted from 8M hydrochloric acid with 0.01M DB-18-C6 in nitrobenzene. It was stripped from the organic phase with 2M nitric acid and determined spectrophotometrically with Tiron at 390 nm. Molybdenum was separated from a large number of elements in binary mixtures, the tolerance limit for most elements being very high. Selective extraction of molybdenum permits its separation from barium, thorium, cesium, rubidium, strontium, lanthanum, chromium(III) and cerium(III). The method was extended for the analysis of molybdenum in a soil sample.     

仲钨酸B的形成及其在钨钼分离中的应用

用SiO_2作催化剂可大大加快仲钨酸A转变成仲钨酸B,反应后溶液的pH值从6.7升至8.1,在此pH条件下,MoO_4~(2-)不聚合成Mo_7O_(24)~(6-),利用这一差异,在含有杂质钼的仲钨酸B溶液中,加入胍盐后,钨以仲钨酸B胍盐[CN_3H_6]_6W_7O_(24)·4H_2O形式沉淀,钼以MoO_4~(2-)留在溶液中,从而可分离钨和钼。     

Temperature dependent electrochemical investigations of molybdenum and tungsten oxobisdithiolene complexes

To achieve a better understanding why thermophilic and hyperthermophilic organisms use tungsten instead of molybdenum within the active sites of their molybdopterin dependent oxidases, electrochemical investigations of model complexes for the active sites of enzymes belonging to the DMSO reductase (molybdenum) and the aldehyde oxidoreductase (tungsten) family have been undertaken. Cyclic voltammetry and differential pulse voltammetry of four pairs of molybdenum and tungsten oxobisdithiolene compounds show huge differences in the response of their redox potentials to rising or decreasing temperatures, depending on the substituents at the dithiolene group. The mnt2- compounds (1a, 1b) respond with decreasing redox potentials E(1/2) to rising temperatures whereas all other compounds show positive gradients deltaE/deltaT. In every case the values for the gradients for the tungsten compounds are greater than those for the molybdenum compounds. Six of the investigated compounds are known in the literature and two compounds were newly synthesized. These two new compounds include the pyrane subunit of the native molybdopterin ligand and should therefore be even better models for the active site of the molybdopterin containing enzymes. The molybdenum/tungsten pair with these new ligands shows a remarkably small difference for the redox potentials of the transition M(IV) <--> M(V) of only 30 mV at 25 degrees C and the reversion of the usual order with higher potentials for the molybdenum than the tungsten compound at a temperature of 70 degrees C; a temperature that is in the range where usually tungsten containing enzymes instead of molybdenum containing ones are found.     

Determination of traces of molybdenum and tungsten by extraction and polarography of their salicoylhydroxamates

Molybdenum and tungsten salicoylhydroxamates have been extracted into methyl isobutyl ketone or a mixture of chloroform and isobutyl alcohol from 1.5M hydrochloric acid and subjected to DC and derivative pulse polarography (DPP) after addition of methanolic lithium chloride solution, phosphoric acid and water in defined proportions. Molybdenum gives two DC waves with E(1 2 ) at -125 and -525 mV and a sharp DPP peak at -75 mV, whereas tungsten shows a single DC wave at -840 mV and a DPP peak at -850 mV. The two metals can be determined down to the sub-ppm level.     

Spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum and tungsten in niobium with dithiol

A new procedure for the determination of molybdenum and tungsten in niobium has been developed. The method involves the formation of the intensely colored complex of molybdenum with toluene-3,4-dithiol in an aqueous medium and its extraction into carbon tetrachloride followed by the reduction of tungsten and the formation and extraction of its complex. The recommended reagent is stable for at least 90 days. Both the molybdenum and the tungsten dithiol complexes are formed quantitatively within 5 min. Interlaboratory evaluation of the method reveals within-laboratory and between-laboratory relative standard deviations of about 1.5% and 2.9% respectively.     

Extraction and spectrophotometric determination of molybdenum(VI) with Malachite Green and p-chloromandelic acid

Molybdenum(VI) reacts with p-chloromandelic acid to form a complex extractable into chlorobenzene with Malachite Green, from aqueous solution at pH 2.0-4.0 at room temperature, and can then be determined indirectly by measuring the absorbance of the Malachite Green in the extract, at 630 nm. The calibation graph is linear for molybdenum over the range 0.26-10.0 x 10(-6)M (0.10-4.0 mug); the apparent molar absorptivity is 1.06 x 10(5) l.mole(-1).cm(-1). The method has been applied to the determination of molybdenum in mild steels with satisfactory results.