The Mechanism of Metal-Containing Formate Dehydrogenases Revisited: The Formation of Bicarbonate as Product Intermediate Provides Evidence for an Oxygen Atom Transfer Mechanism

Mo/W-containing formate dehydrogenases (FDH) catalyzed the reversible oxidation of formate to carbon dioxide at their molybdenum or tungsten active sites. While in the reaction of formate oxidation, the product is CO2, which exits the active site via a hydrophobic channel; bicarbonate is formed as the first intermediate during the reaction at the active site. Other than what has been previously reported, bicarbonate is formed after an oxygen atom transfer reaction, transferring the oxygen from water to formate and a subsequent proton-coupled electron transfer or hydride transfer reaction involving the sulfido ligand as acceptor.