“…They proposed a detailed mechanism for both species, which consists of an electron transfer, a proton transfer, and one PCET step leading to the active S2 state, followed by nucleophilic attack by H2O, the rate-determining step, and two further PCET steps to yield O2. The authors also linked the experimentally observed higher catalytic activity of [Co4(H2O)2(VW9O34)2] 10-compared to {Co4} to increased orbital coupling between the d orbitals of V and Co. Yan, Lang and colleagues [58] have employed DFT to study the water oxidation cycle of [Mn3(H2O)3(SbW9O33)2] 12-, also finding that nucleophilic attack by H2O is the rate-determining step. Likewise, the water oxidation cycle of [Mn(H2O)GeW11O39] 5-was investigated in detail, [59] describing two possible mechanisms, via nucleophilic attack by H2O or via intramolecular O-O bonding, respectively.…”