ABSTRACT
The photosynthetic oxidation of water to molecular oxygen by Photo system II is an example of a splendidly effective catalyst. Duplication of that catalytic ability in industrial settings would have considerable economic benefit but will require a solid understanding of the mecha nism of the biological catalyst. We will describe the most pertinent ex perimental results, discuss current models for the chemical mechanism by which plants and algae oxidize water, and relate the results to these models. We will also incorporate insights from recent theoretical work related to oxygen evolution. Although the subject is still controversial, the chemistry underlying oxygen evolution is becoming much clearer.
