Iron and oxygen interact in many important processes throughout the human body. The best-known example is hemoglobin, where iron binds dioxygen, meaning two oxygen atoms joined together, so oxygen can be carried through the bloodstream.
Iron also forms highly reactive compounds known as iron oxos. These compounds are involved in other biological functions, including reactions carried out by liver enzymes that help break down drugs.
Exploring Oxygen Chemistry Beyond Iron
Rice University chemist Raúl Hernández Sánchez wanted to know whether oxygen could form similar compounds with a different group of metals found near the bottom of the periodic table. These are known as f-block metals. Lanthanides occupy the upper row, while actinides appear below them.
Hernández Sánchez proposed that if lanthanides could bind oxygen in the right way, they might produce highly reactive lanthanide oxo compounds. Such molecules could potentially serve as synthetic alternatives to iron oxos and give small molecule chemists new tools for studying reactions related to biology.
