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Title: X-ray absorption spectroscopic studies of the blue copper site: Metal and ligand K-edge studies to probe the origin of the EPR hyperfine splitting in plastocyanin

Journal Article · · Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States)
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1021/ja00055a057· OSTI ID:6528181

X-ray absorption spectra for the oxidized blue copper protein plastocyanin and several Cu(II) model complexes have been measured at both the Cu K-edge and the ligand K-edges (Cl and S) in order to elucidate the source of the small parallel hyperfine splitting in the EPR spectra of blue copper centers. Assignment and analysis of a feature in the Cu K-edge X-ray absorption spectrum at [approximately]8,987 eV as the Cu 1s [yields] 4p + ligand-to-metal charge-transfer shakedown transition has allowed for quantitation of 4p mixing into the ground-state wave function as reflected in the 1s [yields]3d (+4p) intensity at [approximately]8,979 eV. The results show that distorted tetrahedral (D[sub 2d])CuCl[sub 4][sup 2[minus]] is characterized by <4% Cu 4p[sub z] mixing, while plastocyanin has only Cu 4p[sub xy] mixing. Thus, the small parallel hyperfine splitting in the EPR spectra of D[sub 2d]CuCl[sub 4][sup 2[minus]] and of oxidized plastocyanin cannot be explained by 12% 4p[sub z] mixing into the 3d[sub x[sup 2]-y[sup 2]] orbital as had been previously postulated. Data collected at the Cl K-edge for CuCl[sub 4][sup 2[minus]] show that the intensity of the ligand pre-edge feature at [approximately]2,820 eV reflects the degree of covalency between the metal half-occupied orbital and the ligands. The data show that D[sub 2d]CuCl[sub 4][sup 2[minus]] is not unusually covalent. The source of the small parallel splitting in the EPR of D[sub 2d]CuCl[sub 4][sup 2[minus]] is discussed. Experiments at the S K-edge ([approximately]2,470 eV) show that plastocyanin is characterized by a highly covalent Cu-S(cysteine) bond relative to the cupric-thiolate model complex [Cu(tet b)(o-SC[sub 6]H[sub 4]CO[sub 2])][center dot]H[sub 2]O. The XAS results demonstrate that the small parallel hyperfine splitting in the EPR spectra of blue copper sites reflects the high degree of covalency of the copper-thiolate bond. 34 refs., 12 figs., 3 tabs.

OSTI ID:
6528181
Journal Information:
Journal of the American Chemical Society; (United States), Vol. 115:2; ISSN 0002-7863
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English