Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf

Chemistry of the f-elements

PD Dr. habil. Moritz Schmidt

Head Chemistry of the f-elements

Porträt PD Dr. habil. Schmidt, Moritz; FWOF

Phone

+49 351 260 3156, +49 351 260 2536

Email

moritz.schmidtAthzdr.de

Link

ORCID: 0000-0002-8419-0811

Address
Building/Office

Bautzner Landstraße 400 - 01328 Dresden
801/P249, 850/16.1

Scientific career

  • Current:
    Head of the department "Chemistry of the f-elements" Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Resource Ecology.
  • 2013 – 2018:
    Helmholtz Young Investigator group leader at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), Institute of Resource Ecology.
  • 2012 – 2013:
    Research associate at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal.
  • 2010 – 2012:
    Research Associate at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL), Chemical Sciences and Engineering Division.
  • 11/2009:
    PhD at the University of Heidelberg, Department of Chemistry, “Untersuchungen zum Einbaumechanismus von Actiniden und Lanthaniden in Calcium-haltige Sekundärphasen” (in German).
  • 2006 – 2009:
    PhD student at the Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe, Institute for Nuclear Waste Disposal.
  • 2006:
    Diplom (M.Sc.) in Chemistry at the University of Heidelberg

Research experience

  • Actinide chemistry
  • Geochemistry of the actinides in the context of nuclear waste storage
  • Mineral/water interface reactions
  • Structural incorporation of actinides into mineral phases
  • Site-selective time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy with Cm(III) and Eu(III)
  • Surface X-ray diffraction

Newest Publication in the Department

Preparation and characterization of Mn(II)Mn(III) complexes with relevance to class Ib ribonucleotide reductases

Doyle, L. M.; Bienenmann, R. L. M.; Gericke, R.; Xu, S.; Farquhar, E. R.; Que Jr, L.; McDonald, A. R.

Abstract

The Mn₂ complex (Mn(II)₂(TPDP)(O₂CPh)₂)(BPh₄) (1, TPDP = 1,3-bis(bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amino)propan-2-ol, Ph = phenyl) was prepared and subsequently characterized via single-crystal X-ray diffraction, X-ray absorption, electronic absorption, and infrared spectroscopies, and mass spectrometry. 1 was prepared in order to explore its properties as a structural and functional mimic of class Ib ribonucleotide reductases (RNRs). 1 reacted with superoxide anion (O₂(•–)) to generate a peroxido-MnIIMnIII complex, 2. The electronic absorption and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra of 2 were similar to previously published peroxido-Mn(II)Mn(III) species. Furthermore, X-ray near edge absorption structure (XANES) studies indicated the conversion of a Mn(II) 2 core in 1 to a Mn(II)Mn(III) state in 2. Treatment of 2 with para-toluenesulfonic acid (p-TsOH) resulted in the conversion to a new Mn(II)Mn(III) species, 3, rather than causing O—O bond scission, as previously encountered. 3 was characterized using electronic absorption, EPR, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies. Unlike other reported peroxido-Mn(II)Mn(III) species, 3 was capable of oxidative O—H activation, mirroring the generation of tyrosyl radical in class Ib RNRs, however without accessing the Mn(III)Mn(IV) state.

Keywords: Bioinorganic; Dimanganese cluster; Ribonucleotide reductase; Dioxygen activation; electron paramagnetic resonance

Permalink: https://www.hzdr.de/publications/Publ-39110

Grants and Projects

  • Bioinspired polyhydroxamic sequestering agents for the in vivo decorporation of actinides
    (ActiDecorp, ANR/DFG, 04/2024-03/2027)
  • Actinide-metal-bonding at the atomic level
    (Am-BALL, BMUV, 05/2023-04/2026)
  • Investigation of the interactions of f-elements with biologically-relevant structural motives: Determination of structure-effect principles for a mobilization in the environment
    (FENABIUM-II, BMBF, 04/2023-03/2026)
  • Competition and Reversibility of sorption processes
    (KuRSiV, BMUV, 01/2023-06/2026)
  • Spectroscopic characterization of f-Element complexes with soft donor ligands
    (f-Char, BMBF, 10/2020 - 03/2024)
  • Structure effect relations between f-elements and organic ligands with natural-analogue binding modes in regards to a possible mobilization in the environment
    (FENABIUM, BMBF, 10/2016 – 05/2021)
  • Smart-Kd applications for the long term safety assessment of nuclear waste disposal sites
    (SMILE, BMWi, 09/2018 – 02/2022)
  • Helmholtz Young Investigator Group “Structures and reactivity at the aqueous/mineral interface”
    (VH-NG-942, Helmholtz Association, 10/2013 - 09/2018)