Repositioning Proton and Electron Donors in a Family of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Mediators
Enric H. Adillon, Alexander Alabugin, Sungchan Kim, Jonas C. Peters · 2026
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Description
Adillon and colleagues varied the bridge inside a family of molecules that deliver a proton and an electron. That combined move, called proton-coupled electron transfer, underpins fuel-forming and fertilizer chemistry. Their 2026 study uses cobaltocene-based mediators carrying an acid group, in four versions differing only in the covalent link between the electron donor and the proton donor. One version was made through a late-stage palladium-catalyzed coupling.
Adillon measured transfer equilibria and reaction speeds against a series of aryl ketones. The driving force barely changed across the family, and every mediator reacted through a single concerted step rather than separate proton and electron hops. The version with a bent phenylene bridge reacted fastest despite having the weakest driving force. The authors attribute this to favorable orbital contact between the ketone and the mediator's ring system. The work shows bridges tune speed by preorganizing partners, not by thermodynamics.
Catalog record
| CREATOR | Enric H. Adillon, Alexander Alabugin, Sungchan Kim, Jonas C. Peters |
|---|---|
| YEAR | 2026 |
| COLLECTION | PAPERS |
| FORMAT | TXT |
| FILE SIZE | 27 KB |
| LICENSE | https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
| RIGHTS | CC BY |
| SOURCE | Europe PMC |