On the reversible O2 binding of the Fe-porphyrin complex

Electronic mechanism of the reversible O(2) binding by heme was studied by using Density Functional Theory calculations. The ground state of oxyheme was calculated to be open singlet state [Fe(S =1/2) + O(2)(S = 1/2)]. The potential energy surface for singlet state is associative, while that for triplet state is dissociative. Because the ground state of the O(2)+ deoxyheme system is triplet in the dissociation limit [Fe(S = 2) + O(2)(S = 1)], the O(2) binding process requires relativistic spin-orbit interaction to accomplish the intersystem crossing from triplet to singlet states. Owing to the singlet-triplet crossing, the activation energies for both O(2) binding and dissociation become moderate, and hence reversible. We also found that the deviation of the Fe atom from the porphyrin plane is also important reaction coordinate for O(2) binding. The potential surface is associative/dissociative when the Fe atom locates in-plane/out-of-plane.