Inorganic ChemistryOrganometallic Chemistry |
How are transition metals important for nitrogen fixation? |
Nitrogen fixation is the term for a process that converts diatomic nitrogen gas (N2) in the atmosphere into ammonia (NH3). This is a very important biological process because it converts N2, which is very unreactive, into a form that can more readily be incorporated into amino acids and other molecules. Transition metals (such as vanadium or molybdenum) are found in the active sites of the enzymes that carry out this important reaction.