Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation01:22

Inorganic Nitrogen Assimilation

394
Nitrogen is an essential element in biological systems, forming a crucial component of proteins, nucleic acids, and other cellular constituents. Many bacteria and archaea acquire nitrogen in the form of nitrate (NO₃⁻) or ammonia (NH₃), which are then assimilated into biomolecules through specific enzymatic pathways.Assimilatory Nitrate ReductionWhen nitrate enters the cell, it undergoes a two-step reduction process known as assimilatory nitrate reduction. Initially, the enzyme...
394
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Amides and Nitriles01:13

Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Amides and Nitriles

2.9K
Nitriles can be reduced to primary amines using reducing agents like lithium aluminum hydride or catalytic hydrogenation. The reduction introduces an amino group with an extra carbon in the skeleton. Nitriles are formed from the reaction between alkyl halides and sodium cyanide through the SN2 mechanism. Primary alkyl halides are the preferred substrates to prepare nitriles.
Amides can be reduced to primary, secondary, and tertiary amines using catalytic hydrogenation, active metals like Fe,...
2.9K
Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Oximes and Nitro Compounds01:29

Preparation of Amines: Reduction of Oximes and Nitro Compounds

4.5K
Oximes can be reduced to primary amines using catalytic hydrogenation, hydride reduction, or sodium metal reduction. The reduction of aliphatic and aromatic nitro compounds to primary amines takes place by either catalytic hydrogenation or by using active metals like Fe, Zn, and Sn in the presence of an acid.
Though catalytic hydrogenation can reduce nitrobenzenes, the reduction is nonselective in the presence of other functional groups. For instance, if nitrobenzene contains an aldehyde group,...
4.5K
Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism01:20

Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism

10.8K
Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of  ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or  nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this...
10.8K
Nitriles to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction00:55

Nitriles to Amines: LiAlH4 Reduction

4.5K
Nitriles are reduced to amines in the presence of strong reducing agents like lithium aluminum hydride through a typical nucleophilic acyl substitution. The reaction requires two equivalents of the reducing agent. The reducing agent acts as a source of hydride ions.
As shown below, the mechanism involves three steps. Firstly, the hydride ion acting as a nucleophile attacks the nitrile carbon to form an anion. In the second step, a second equivalent of the hydride ion attacks the anion to...
4.5K
Preparation of Amines: Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones01:38

Preparation of Amines: Reductive Amination of Aldehydes and Ketones

3.6K
Carbonyl compounds and primary amines undergo reductive amination first to produce imines, followed by secondary amines in the same reaction mixture, using selective reducing agents like sodium cyanoborohydride or sodium triacetoxyborohydride. Reductive amination produces different degrees of substitution of amines depending on the starting amine substrate.
3.6K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A redox- and proton-coupled inner membrane transporter mediates copper import to the bacterial cytoplasm.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Sulfite Is Not Required for N<sub>2</sub> Reduction Catalyzed by Mo-Nitrogenase.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Mechanistic Insights into Dinitrogen Reduction to Ammonia in Light-Controlled Nanocrystal:Nitrogenase Complexes.

Accounts of chemical research·2026
Same author

Trafficking of a nitrogenase FeMo-cofactor assembly intermediate.

Nature chemical biology·2026
Same author

The radical SAM enzyme EpeE exhibits distinct site reactivity during the biosynthesis of the RiPP natural product epipeptide.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Simultaneous occupancy of Cu<sub>C</sub> and Cu<sub>D</sub> in the ammonia monooxygenase active site.

Chemical science·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Dec 26, 2025

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
08:05

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Published on: October 7, 2020

6.5K

Reduction of Substrates by Nitrogenases.

Lance C Seefeldt1, Zhi-Yong Yang1, Dmitriy A Lukoyanov2

  • 1Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Utah State University, Logan, Utah 84322, United States.

Chemical Reviews
|March 17, 2020
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Nitrogenase, the enzyme enabling biological nitrogen fixation, offers a model for developing sustainable synthetic catalysts. Understanding its complex substrate reduction mechanisms is key to advancing ammonia production and reducing fossil fuel dependence.

More Related Videos

Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors
07:59

Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors

Published on: December 6, 2018

8.6K
Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources
12:47

Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources

Published on: January 22, 2018

9.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Dec 26, 2025

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
08:05

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O

Published on: October 7, 2020

6.5K
Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors
07:59

Estimating Sediment Denitrification Rates Using Cores and N2O Microsensors

Published on: December 6, 2018

8.6K
Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources
12:47

Workflow Based on the Combination of Isotopic Tracer Experiments to Investigate Microbial Metabolism of Multiple Nutrient Sources

Published on: January 22, 2018

9.8K

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Enzymology
  • Catalysis

Background:

  • Nitrogenase catalyzes biological N2 reduction to NH3, offering significant rate enhancement over uncatalyzed reactions.
  • Industrial nitrogen fixation (Haber-Bosch) heavily relies on fossil fuels, highlighting the need for sustainable alternatives.
  • Understanding nitrogenase is crucial for designing efficient synthetic catalysts for ammonia production.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent advancements in understanding nitrogenase's catalytic mechanisms.
  • To explore nitrogenase's reduction of various substrates, including N2, protons, nitrogenous compounds, and carbon-based molecules.
  • To identify remaining challenges in elucidating nitrogenase substrate reduction.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of recent research on nitrogenase.
  • Analysis of mechanistic studies on nitrogenase substrate reduction.
  • Synthesis of findings on N2, proton, nitrogenous, and carbon-based substrate reduction.

Main Results:

  • Recent progress in understanding the mechanisms of N2 and proton reduction by nitrogenase.
  • New insights into the reduction of non-physiological nitrogenous compounds.
  • Advances in comprehending the reduction of carbon-based substrates like CO and CO2.

Conclusions:

  • Nitrogenase's complex catalytic strategies provide valuable blueprints for synthetic catalyst design.
  • Further research is needed to fully address remaining challenges in nitrogenase substrate reduction.
  • Elucidating nitrogenase mechanisms can lead to more sustainable industrial processes.