Effect of H₂ Binding on the Nonadiabatic Transition Probability between Singlet and Triplet States of the [NiFe]-Hydrogenase Active Site

We investigate the effect of H₂ binding on the spin-forbidden nonadiabatic transition probability between the lowest energy singlet and triplet electronic states of [NiFe]-hydrogenase active site model, using a velocity averaged Landau–Zener theory. Density functional and multireference perturbation theories were used to provide parameters for the Landau–Zener calculations. It was found that variation of the torsion angle between the terminal thiolate ligands around the Ni center induces an intersystem crossing between the lowest energy singlet and triplet electronic states in the bare active site and in the active site with bound H₂. Potential energy curves between the singlet and triplet minima along the torsion angle and H₂ binding energies to the two spin states were calculated. Upon H₂ binding to the active site, there is a decrease in the torsion angle at the minimum energy crossing point between the singlet and triplet states. The probability of nonadiabatic transitions at temperatures between 270 and 370 K ranges from 35% to 32% for the active site with bound H₂ and from 42% to 38% for the bare active site, thus indicating the importance of spin-forbidden nonadiabatic pathways for H₂ binding on the [NiFe]-hydrogenase active site.