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

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 nitrate reductase...
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Mechanism01:37

1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Mechanism

Nitrous acid is a relatively weak and unstable acid prepared in situ by the reaction of sodium nitrite and cold, dilute hydrochloric acid. In an acidic solution, the nitrous acid undergoes protonation when it loses water to form a nitrosonium ion—an electrophile. Nitrous acid reacts with primary amines to give diazonium salts. The reaction is called diazotization of primary amines.
Carbon-dioxide Fixation01:28

Carbon-dioxide Fixation

Carbon dioxide fixation in prokaryotes enables the assimilation of inorganic carbon into organic molecules, supporting biosynthetic pathways, sustaining ecosystems, and contributing to the global carbon cycle. It also has industrial applications in carbon capture and bioproduct synthesis. Autotrophic organisms rely on this process to utilize CO₂ as a carbon source in diverse environments.The Calvin CycleThe Calvin cycle is the most widespread carbon fixation mechanism, primarily used by...
Diazonium Group Substitution: –OH and –H01:19

Diazonium Group Substitution: –OH and –H

Nitrous acid, a weak acid, is prepared in situ via the reaction of sodium nitrite with a strong acid under cold conditions. This nitrous acid prepared in situ reacts with primary arylamines to form arenediazonium salts. Such reactions are known as diazotization reactions. As shown in Figure 1, the formation of arenediazonium salts begins with the decomposition of nitrous acid in an acidic solution to give nitrosonium ions.
Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle01:26

Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is a complex biogeochemical process critical to maintaining the balance of nitrogenous compounds in ecosystems. This cycle involves multiple microbial-mediated transformations through which nitrogen changes oxidation states, supporting essential ecological functions and contributing to plant and microbial growth.Nitrogen Fixation and AmmonificationNitrogen fixation initiates the cycle by converting inert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable ammonia (NH₃), a process...
1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Overview01:26

1° Amines to Diazonium or Aryldiazonium Salts: Diazotization with NaNO2 Overview

Nitrous acid and nitric acids are two types of acids containing nitrogen, among which nitrous acid is weaker than nitric acid. Nitrous acid with a pKa value of 3.37 ionizes in water to give a nitrite ion and the hydronium ion.
The nitrous acid is unstable. Hence, it is formed in situ from a solution of sodium nitrite and cold aqueous acids such as hydrochloric or sulfuric acid. In an acidic solution, the –OH group of nitrous acid undergoes protonation to give oxonium ion, followed by water loss...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by
Same author

Quantitative Photoswitching of Spin States in o-Fluoroazobenzene-Loaded Metal-Organic Frameworks.

Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)·2026
Same author

Synthesis and Structures of Formal Ni(I/II/III) Imido Complexes.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Unraveling N-O Cleavage and N-H Bond Formation for NO Reduction to NH<sub>3</sub> at a Bimetallic Fe-Mo Site.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Crystallographic Capture of a Free Triplet Borylnitrene.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

A Combined Spectroscopic and Computational Study on the Electronic Structures of Cyclopentadienyl Bis-Phosphine Chromium(IV/V) Nitrides.

Inorganic chemistry·2026
Same author

Physical Origin for the Unusual <i>g</i>-Values Observed for a Pb(I) Radical Complex: Quenching the Spin Angular Momentum Caused by Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling.

The journal of physical chemistry. A·2026
Same journal

Decoding Galectin-Glycan Recognition with <sup>19</sup>F-Tagged Lectins: from Simple Glycans to the Cellular Glycocalyx.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Open- and Closed-Shell Roles of Sensitizer and Annihilator in Pseudo-Single Component Mixtures for Upconversion.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Pressure-Induced Superconductivity at 15 K in van-der-Waals Ferroelectric CuInP<sub>2</sub>S<sub>6</sub>.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Carbene Analogues of Group 15: Reduction of s-Hydrindacene-Based Chloropnictogenium Ions To Access an Antimony Hydride Monocation and a Trinuclear Bismuth Dication.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Chiral-Ligand-Modulated Nickel-Catalyzed Stereoselective Radical Migratory C2-Arylation of Carbohydrates.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same journal

Coordination-Constraint-Driven Enhanced Chirality Induction in Perovskite Quantum Dot Solids.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
See all related articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase
10:01

Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase

Published on: December 4, 2017

A Missing Link in Dinitrogen Fixation Enabled by Hydrazido Isomerization.

Zhu-Bao Yin1, Gao-Xiang Wang2, Shengfa Ye2

  • 1Beijing National Laboratory for Molecular Sciences (BNLMS), Key Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 1, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

A novel hybrid pathway for dinitrogen (N2) fixation is introduced, featuring a unique isomerization mechanism. This discovery provides new insights into nitrogen reduction and the formation of key intermediates like diazene.

More Related Videos

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

Determination of the Photoisomerization Quantum Yield of a Hydrazone Photoswitch
09:33

Determination of the Photoisomerization Quantum Yield of a Hydrazone Photoswitch

Published on: February 7, 2022

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase
10:01

Protein Film Infrared Electrochemistry Demonstrated for Study of H2 Oxidation by a [NiFe] Hydrogenase

Published on: December 4, 2017

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

Determination of the Photoisomerization Quantum Yield of a Hydrazone Photoswitch
09:33

Determination of the Photoisomerization Quantum Yield of a Hydrazone Photoswitch

Published on: February 7, 2022

Area of Science:

  • Inorganic Chemistry
  • Organometallic Chemistry
  • Catalysis

Background:

  • Dinitrogen (N2) fixation typically follows distal pathways, with alternating or enzymatic pathways involving diazene (HN═NH) being rare and poorly understood.
  • Elucidating alternative N2 fixation mechanisms is crucial for developing synthetic nitrogen reduction strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present a novel hybrid pathway for N2 fixation involving an η2-hydrazido intermediate.
  • To elucidate the mechanism of η1- to η2-hydrazido isomerization and its role in diazene generation.
  • To establish a redox-switchable interconversion between η1- and η2-hydrazido species.

Main Methods:

  • Mechanistic studies
  • Computational studies
  • Spectroscopic analysis

Main Results:

  • A hybrid pathway for N2 fixation was identified, featuring an η1- to η2-hydrazido isomerization that bridges a gap in diazene formation.
  • Oxidation was shown to trigger a reverse η2- to η1-hydrazido isomerization, creating a redox-switchable system.
  • Intramolecular SiMe3 group migration was identified as the dominant mechanism for both isomerizations.
  • Hydrazyl radical anion character was found to be essential for facilitating these isomerizations.

Conclusions:

  • The discovered pathway offers a new perspective on N2 fixation and diazene generation, distinct from classic alternating pathways.
  • The redox-switchable interconversion of hydrazido isomers provides a versatile platform for manipulating reduced dinitrogen species.
  • This work paves the way for designing novel synthetic transformations of dinitrogen and developing new catalysts for nitrogen fixation.