Description:
<jats:p>
The formation of molecular oxygen from water in photosynthesis is catalyzed by photosystem II at an active site containing four manganese ions that are arranged in di-μ-oxo dimanganese units (where μ is a bridging mode). The complex [H
<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>
O(terpy)Mn(O)
<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>
Mn(terpy)OH
<jats:sub>2</jats:sub>
](NO
<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>
)
<jats:sub>3</jats:sub>
(terpy is 2,2′:6′,2"-terpyridine), which was synthesized and structurally characterized, contains a di-μ-oxo manganese dimer and catalyzes the conversion of sodium hypochlorite to molecular oxygen. Oxygen-18 isotope labeling showed that water is the source of the oxygen atoms in the molecular oxygen evolved, and so this system is a functional model for photosynthetic water oxidation.
</jats:p>