Mild redox complementation enables H2 activation by [FeFe]-hydrogenase models.

Mild oxidants such as [Fe(C(5)Me(5))(2)](+) accelerate the activation of H(2) by [Fe(2)[(SCH(2))(2)NBn](CO)(3)(dppv)(PMe(3))](+) ([1](+)), despite the fact that the ferrocenium cation is incapable of oxidizing [1](+). The reaction is first-order in [1](+) and [H(2)] but independent of the E(1/2) and concentration of the oxidant. The analogous reaction occurs with D(2) and proceeds with an inverse kinetic isotope effect of 0.75(8). The activation of H(2) is further enhanced with the tetracarbonyl [Fe(2)[(SCH(2))(2)NBn](CO)(4)(dppn)](+) ([2](+)), the first crystallographically characterized model for the H(ox) state of the active site containing an amine cofactor. These studies point to rate-determining binding of H(2) followed by proton-coupled electron transfer. Relative to that by [1](+), the rate of H(2) activation by [2](+)/Fc(+) is enhanced by a factor of 10(4) at 25 °C.