Molecular hydrogen assisted transport of H atoms

► Transport of hydrogen atoms plays a key role in chemical and biological processes involving metabolism of molecular hydrogen. ► A molecular hydrogen assisted transport (HAT) mechanism is developed on the role of H2 as a mediator of H-atoms transfer processes. ► The mechanism is based on a series of small gas-phase and extended model reactions, which also are of separate interest. For instance, mediated by hydrogen keto-enol transformation (Figure 2(B)) could explain abundance of enols formed in combustion processes, not properly explained so far. ► Important part of the research is the organometallic models which can be applied also to the synthetic catalytic systems. ► Mimics of the hydrogenase enzyme are important due to the uncertain yet general role of hydrogen in enzymatic processes. ► The mechanism, I believe, is applicable to certain H/D isotope exchange processes especially those in high temperatures.