Brian M. Hoffman

About

Brian M. Hoffman is a professor in the Interdisciplinary Biological Sciences Graduate Program at Northwestern University. He holds a PhD from the California Institute of Technology. His research focuses on determining the catalytic mechanisms of metalloenzymes through the development and implementation of electron-nuclear double resonance (ENDOR) spectroscopy, a technique that combines NMR and EPR to analyze active-site nuclei by monitoring the metal centers. This method allows for the characterization of enzyme active site composition, electronic, and geometric structures, particularly for catalytic intermediates trapped during enzyme reactions. His ongoing projects include studies of biological nitrogen fixation by nitrogenase, radical SAM enzyme catalysis, methane oxidation by Cu methane monooxygenase, and in vivo speciation of Mn 2+ ions. His work also involves parallel studies of synthetic biomimetic complexes to identify intermediates during catalysis and explore their dynamic properties. Hoffman’s research aims to reveal enzyme mechanisms and contribute to understanding key biological processes such as nitrogen fixation, radical reactions, methane mitigation, and metal ion roles in biological systems.

Research topics

• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Stereochemistry
• Crystallography
• Ecology
• Nanotechnology
• Photochemistry
• Biochemistry
• Inorganic chemistry
• Agronomy

Selected publications

• Reduction of Substrates by Nitrogenases

  Chemical Reviews · 2020 · 389 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  , is also discussed, and remaining challenges in understanding nitrogenase substrate reduction are considered.

  DOI

• Cobalt–Carbon Bonding in a Salen-Supported Cobalt(IV) Alkyl Complex Postulated in Oxidative MHAT Catalysis

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2022-06-03 · 85 citations

  articleOpen accessCorresponding

  The catalytic hydrofunctionalization of alkenes through radical-polar crossover metal hydrogen atom transfer (MHAT) offers a mild pathway for the introduction of functional groups in sterically congested environments. For M = Co, this reaction is often proposed to proceed through secondary alkylcobalt(IV) intermediates, which have not been characterized unambiguously. Here, we characterize a metastable (salen)Co(isopropyl) cation, which is capable of forming C–O bonds with alcohols as proposed i…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Structural and spectroscopic characterization of an Fe(VI) bis(imido) complex

  Science · 2020-10-16 · 72 citations

  articleOpen access

  Nitrogen lifts iron to hexavalence The myriad ways that iron can interact with oxygen have been amply studied in biochemical and geochemical contexts. More recently, chemists have explored the extent to which nitrogen can likewise stabilize iron in high oxidation states. Martinez et al. now report that an iron center coordinated by carbene ligands can react with an organic azide to form a pentavalent bis(imido) complex with two Fe=N bonds. One-electron oxidation then accessed the Fe(VI) oxidatio…

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Coordination of the Copper Centers in Particulate Methane Monooxygenase: Comparison between Methanotrophs and Characterization of the Cu_CSite by EPR and ENDOR Spectroscopies

  Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2021 · 45 citations

  Senior authorCorresponding

  is the likely site of biological methane oxidation by pMMO, a conclusion that will serve as a foundation for proposals regarding the mechanism of this reaction.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Metal ion fluxes controlling amphibian fertilization

  Nature Chemistry · 2021 · 45 citations

  DOI

Recent grants

• NIH Grant R01HL063203

  NIH · $6.1M · 2017

• NIH Grant R37HL013531

  NIH · $3.3M · 1998

• Star Porphyrazines

  NSF · $450k · 2005–2009

Frequent coauthors

• Dennis R. Dean

  Virginia Tech

  271 shared

• Roman Davydov

  Northwestern University

  262 shared

• Lance C. Seefeldt

  250 shared

• Joshua Telser

  Roosevelt University

  210 shared

• Anthony G. M. Barrett

  Imperial College London

  208 shared

• Hong-In Lee

  Kyungpook National University

  150 shared

• Mikhail Laryukhin

  National Eye Institute

  133 shared

• Peter E. Doan

  Northwestern University

  114 shared

Similar researchers at Northwestern University

• Neil L. Kelleherh-110
• Luís A. Nunes Amaralh-101
• William L. Kleinh-82