The central cobalt atom normally exists in the trivalent state, Co(III).
Research suggest that this is due to the strong coordination between benzimidazole and the central cobalt atom, pulling it down into the plane of corrin ring.
One of the nitrogen atoms on the imidazole is a fifth nitrogen ligand for the cobalt atom.
In both types of enzymes the B12-binding domain uses a histidine to bind the cobalt atom of cobalamin cofactors.
In cobalamin, the cobalt atom can be either free (dmb-off) or bound to dimethylbenzimidazole (dmb-on) according to the pH.
When the nitrogen atom bonds to the cobalt atom, the nitro compound is formed.
The ferromagnetic cobalt atoms reflected the surface electrons of the copper inside the ring into a wave pattern, as predicted by the theory of quantum mechanics.
The extremely low temperatures were needed to reduce the amount of thermal vibration of the cobalt atoms to practically nil.
Specifically the same electronic properties were present in the electrons surrounding both foci, even though the cobalt atom was only present at one focus.
These react with the cobalt atoms normally pres-ent in the sun and create still another isotope, violently unstable.