Effect of Inter‐Porphyrin Distance on Spin‐State in Diiron(III) μ‐Hydroxo Bisporphyrins

The synthesis, structure, and properties of bischloro, μ‐oxo, and a family of μ‐hydroxo complexes (with BF₄^?, SbF₆^?, and PF₆^? counteranions) of diethylpyrrole‐bridged diiron(III) bisporphyrins are reported. Spectroscopic characterization has revealed that the iron centers of the bischloro and μ‐oxo complexes are in the high‐spin state (S=⁵/₂). However, the two iron centers in the diiron(III) μ‐hydroxo complexes are equivalent with high spin (S=⁵/₂) in the solid state and an intermediate‐spin state (S=³/₂) in solution. The molecules have been compared with previously known diiron(III) μ‐hydroxo complexes of ethane‐bridged bisporphyrin, in which two different spin states of iron were stabilized under the influence of counteranions. The dimanganese(III) analogues were also synthesized and spectroscopically characterized. A comparison of the X‐ray structural parameters between diethylpyrrole and ethane‐bridged μ‐hydroxo bisporphyrins suggest an increased separation, and hence, less interactions between the two heme units of the former. As a result, unlike the ethane‐bridged μ‐hydroxo complex, both iron centers become equivalent in the diethylpyrrole‐bridged complex and their spin state remains unresponsive to the change in counteranion. The iron(III) centers of the diethylpyrrole‐bridged diiron(III) μ‐oxo bisporphyrin undergo very strong antiferromagnetic interactions (J=?137.7 cm^?1), although the coupling constant is reduced to only a weak value in the μ‐hydroxo complexes (J=?42.2, ?44.1, and ?42.4 cm^?1 for the BF₄, SbF₆, and PF₆ complexes, respectively).     

Protonation of an Oxo‐Bridged Diiron Unit Gives Two Different Iron Centers: Synthesis and Structure of a New Class of Diiron(III)‐μ‐hydroxo Bisporphyrins and the Control of Spin States by Using Counterions

Reported herein is a hitherto unknown family of diiron(III)‐μ‐hydroxo bisporphyrins in which two different spin states of Fe are stabilized in a single molecular framework, although both cores have identical molecular structures. Protonation of the oxo‐bridged dimer ( 2 ) by using strong Brønsted acids, such as HI, HBF₄, and HClO₄, produce red μ‐hydroxo complexes with I₃^? ( 3 ), BF₄^? ( 4 ), and ClO₄^? ( 5 ) counterions, respectively. The X‐ray structure of the molecule reveals that the Fe? O bond length increases on going from the μ‐oxo to the hydroxo complex, whereas the Fe‐O(H)‐Fe unit becomes more bent, which results in the smallest known Fe‐O(H)‐Fe angles of 142.5(2) and 141.2(1)° for 3 and 5 , respectively. In contrast, the Fe‐O(H)‐Fe angle remains unaltered in 4 from the corresponding μ‐oxo complex. The close approach of two rings in a molecule results in unequal core deformations in 3 and 4 , whereas the cores are deformed almost equally but to a lesser extent in 5 . Although 3 was found to have nearly high‐spin and admixed intermediate Fe spin states in cores I and II, respectively, two admixed intermediate spin states were observed in 4 . Even though the cores have identical chemical structures, crucial bond parameters, such as the Fe? N_p, Fe? O, and Fe???Ct_p bond lengths and the ring deformations, are all different between the two Fe^III centers in 3 and 4 , which leads to an eventual stabilization of two different spin states of Fe in each molecule. In contrast, the two Fe centers in 5 are equivalent and assigned to high and intermediate spin states in the solid and solution states, respectively. The spin states are thus found to be dependent on the counterions and can also be reversibly interconverted. Upon protonation, the strong antiferromagnetic coupling in the μ‐oxo dimer (J, ?126.6 cm^?1) is attenuated to almost zero in the μ‐hydroxo complex with the I₃^? counterion, whereas the values of J are ?36 and ?42 cm^?1, respectively, for complexes with BF₄^? and ClO₄^? counterions.     

Low‐Spin Pseudotetrahedral Iron(I) Sites in Fe2(μ‐S) Complexes

Fe^I centers in iron–sulfide complexes have little precedent in synthetic chemistry despite a growing interest in the possible role of unusually low valent iron in metalloenzymes that feature iron–sulfur clusters. A series of three diiron [(L₃Fe)₂(μ‐S)] complexes that were isolated and characterized in the low‐valent oxidation states Fe^II? S? Fe^II, Fe^II? S? Fe^I, and Fe^I? S? Fe^I is described. This family of iron sulfides constitutes a unique redox series comprising three nearly isostructural but electronically distinct Fe₂(μ‐S) species. Combined structural, magnetic, and spectroscopic studies provided strong evidence that the pseudotetrahedral iron centers undergo a transition to low‐spin S=1/2 states upon reduction from Fe^II to Fe^I. The possibility of accessing low‐spin, pseudotetrahedral Fe^I sites compatible with S^2? as a ligand was previously unknown.     

Effect of Heme–Heme Interactions and Modulation of Metal Spins by Counter Anions in a Series of Diiron(III)‐μ‐hydroxo Bisporphyrins: Unusual Stabilization of Two Different Spins in a Single Molecular Framework

A new family of five ethene‐bridged diiron(III)‐μ‐hydroxo bisporphyrins with the same core structure but different counter anions, represented by the general formula [Fe₂(bisporphyrin)]OH ? X (X=counter anion), is reported herein. In these complexes, two different spin states of Fe are stabilized in a single molecular framework. Protonation of the oxo‐bridged dimer 1 by strong Brønsted acids such as HI, HBF₄, HPF₆, HSbF₆, and HClO₄ produces the μ‐hydroxo complexes with I₅^? ( 2 ), BF₄^? ( 3 ), PF₆^? ( 4 ), SbF₆^? ( 5 ), and ClO₄^? ( 6 ) as counter anions, respectively. The X‐ray structures of 2 and 6 have been determined, which provide a rare opportunity to investigate structural changes upon protonation. Spectroscopic characterization has revealed that the two iron(III) centers in 2 are nonequivalent with nearly high and admixed‐intermediate spins in both the solid state and solution. Moreover, the two different Fe^III centers of 3 – 5 are best described as having admixed‐high and admixed‐intermediate spins with variable contributions of S=5/2 and 3/2 for each state in the solid, but two different admixed‐intermediate spins in solution. In contrast, the two Fe^III centers in 6 are equivalent and are assigned as having high and intermediate spin states in the solid and solution, respectively. The X‐ray structures reveal that the Fe? O bond length increases on going from the μ‐oxo to the μ‐hydroxo complexes, and the Fe‐O(H)‐Fe unit becomes more bent, with the dihedral angle decreasing from 150.9(2)° in 1 to 142.3(3)° and 143.85(2)° in 2 and 6 , respectively. Variable‐temperature magnetic data have been subjected to a least‐squares fitting using the expressions derived from the spin Hamiltonians H=?2JS₁?S₂?μ?B+D[${S{{2\hfill \atop z\hfill}}}$ ?1/3S(S+1)] (for 2 , 3 , 4 , and 5 ) and H=?2JS₁?S₂ (for 6 ). The results show that strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the two Fe^III centers in 1 is attenuated to nearly zero (?2.4 cm^?1) in 2 , whereas the values are ?46, ?32.6, ?33.5, and ?34 cm^?1 for 3 , 4 , 5 , and 6 , respectively.     

Diiron(III)–μ‐Fluoro Bisporphyrins: Effect of Bridging Ligand on the Metal Spin State

A hitherto unknown family of diiron(III)–μ‐fluoro bisporphyrins has been synthesized and structurally characterized. Fluoride abstraction from SbF₆^? and BF₄^? resulted in the synthesis of the μ‐fluoro complexes of ethane‐ and ethene‐bridged diiron(III) bisporphyrins. Two such complexes were structurally characterized, which revealed a single fluoro bridge between two iron centers with a remarkably bent Fe‐F‐Fe unit. Although isoelectronic with the μ‐hydroxo complexes, the μ‐fluoro species are quite divergent in terms of the electronic structure and properties. UV/Vis spectroscopy of the μ‐fluoro complex exhibits a large redshift (ca. 18 nm) of the Soret band in comparison to their μ‐hydroxo analog. Combined analysis by single crystal X‐ray structure determination and Mössbauer and ¹H NMR spectroscopy revealed the presence of two equivalent iron(III) centers in the μ‐fluoro complexes in both solid and solution phases. In contrast, the iron(III) centers of the μ‐hydroxo complexes are known to be inequivalent. Variable‐temperature magnetic studies show a weak antiferromagnetic interaction between the iron(III) centers of the μ‐fluoro complexes with coupling constants (J) ranging from ?33 to ?40 cm^?1. The experimental results were further supported by DFT calculations.     

μ‐Oxo‐bis{[(6‐hydroxy­methyl‐2‐pyridyl­methyl)­bis(2‐pyridyl­methyl)­amine‐κ5N,N′,N′′,N′′′,O]­iron(III)} tetrakis­(perchlorate)

The novel μ‐oxo‐diiron complex [Fe₂O(BPHPA)₂](ClO₄)₄ [BPHPA is (6‐hydroxy­methyl‐2‐pyridyl­methyl)­bis(2‐pyridyl­methyl)­amine, C₁₉H₂₀N₄O], contains a binuclear centrosymmetric [Fe₂O(BPHPA)₂]⁴⁺ cation (the bridging O atom lies on an inversion centre) and four perchlorate anions. Each iron ion is coordinated by four N atoms [Fe—N = 2.117 (5)–2.196 (5) Å] and one O atom [Fe—O = 2.052 (5) Å] from a BPHPA ligand, and by one bridging oxo atom [Fe—O = 1.7896 (9) Å], forming a distorted octahedron. There are hydrogen bonds between the hydroxy group and perchlorate O atoms [O—H·O = 2.654 (7) Å].     

A High‐Valent Non‐Heme μ‐Oxo Manganese(IV) Dimer Generated from a Thiolate‐Bound Manganese(II) Complex and Dioxygen

This study deals with the unprecedented reactivity of dinuclear non‐heme Mn^II–thiolate complexes with O₂, which dependent on the protonation state of the initial Mn^II dimer selectively generates either a di‐μ‐oxo or μ‐oxo‐μ‐hydroxo Mn^IV complex. Both dimers have been characterized by different techniques including single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction and mass spectrometry. Oxygenation reactions carried out with labeled ¹⁸O₂ unambiguously show that the oxygen atoms present in the Mn^IV dimers originate from O₂. Based on experimental observations and DFT calculations, evidence is provided that these Mn^IV species comproportionate with a Mn^II precursor to yield μ‐oxo and/or μ‐hydroxo Mn^III dimers. Our work highlights the delicate balance of reaction conditions to control the synthesis of non‐heme high‐valent μ‐oxo and μ‐hydroxo Mn species from Mn^II precursors and O₂.     

Electronic Structure of Thiolate‐bridged Diiron Complexes and a Single‐electron Oxidation Reaction: A Combination of Experimental and Computational Studies

Single‐electron oxidation of a diiron‐sulfur complex [Cp*Fe(μ‐bdt)FeCp*] ( 1 , Cp*=η⁵‐C₅Me₅; bdt=benzene‐1,2‐dithiolate) to [Cp*Fe(μ‐bdt)FeCp*]⁺ ( 2 ) has been experimentally conducted. The bdt ligand with redox‐active character has been computationally proposed to be a dianion (bdt^2?) rather than previously proposed monoanion (bdt^·?) radical in 1 though it has un‐equidistant aromatic C? C bond lengths. The ground state of 1 is predicted to be two low‐spin ferrous ions (S_Fe=0) and 2 has a medium‐spin ferric ion (S_Fe=1/2) and a low‐spin ferrous center (S_Fe=0), and the oxidation of 1 to 2 is calculated to be a single‐metal‐based process. Both complexes have no significant antiferromagnetic coupling character.     

Mechanistic Insight into Peroxo‐Shunt Formation of Biomimetic Models for Compound II,Their Reactivity toward Organic Substrates,and the Influence of N‐Methylimidazole Axial Ligation

High‐valent iron‐oxo species have been invoked as reactive intermediates in catalytic cycles of heme and nonheme enzymes. The studies presented herein are devoted to the formation of compound II model complexes, with the application of a water soluble (TMPS)Fe^III(OH) porphyrin ([meso‐tetrakis(2,4,6‐trimethyl‐3‐sulfonatophenyl)porphinato]iron(III) hydroxide) and hydrogen peroxide as oxidant, and their reactivity toward selected organic substrates. The kinetics of the reaction of H₂O₂ with (TMPS)Fe^III(OH) was studied as a function of temperature and pressure. The negative values of the activation entropy and activation volume for the formation of (TMPS)Fe^IV?O(OH) point to the overall associative nature of the process. A pH‐dependence study on the formation of (TMPS)Fe^IV?O(OH) revealed a very high reactivity of OOH^? toward (TMPS)Fe^III(OH) in comparison to H₂O₂. The influence of N‐methylimidazole (N‐MeIm) ligation on both the formation of iron(IV)‐oxo species and their oxidising properties in the reactions with 4‐methoxybenzyl alcohol or 4‐methoxybenzaldehyde, was investigated in detail. Combined experimental and theoretical studies revealed that among the studied complexes, (TMPS)Fe^III(H₂O)(N‐MeIm) is highly reactive toward H₂O₂ to form the iron(IV)‐oxo species, (TMPS)Fe^IV?O(N‐MeIm). The latter species can also be formed in the reaction of (TMPS)Fe^III(N‐MeIm)₂ with H₂O₂ or in the direct reaction of (TMPS)Fe^IV?O(OH) with N‐MeIm. Interestingly, the kinetic studies involving substrate oxidation by (TMPS)Fe^IV?O(OH) and (TMPS)Fe^IV?O(N‐MeIm) do not display a pronounced effect of the N‐MeIm axial ligand on the reactivity of the compound II mimic in comparison to the OH^? substituted analogue. Similarly, DFT computations revealed that the presence of an axial ligand (OH^? or N‐MeIm) in the trans position to the oxo group in the iron(IV)‐oxo species does not significantly affect the activation barriers calculated for C?H dehydrogenation of the selected organic substrates.     

Substrate‐Dependent H/D Kinetic Isotope Effects and the Role of the Di(μ‐oxo)diiron(IV) Core in Soluble Methane Monooxygenase: A Theoretical Study

Soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) is an enzyme that converts alkanes to alcohols using a di(μ‐oxo)diiron(IV) intermediate Q at the active site. Very large kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) indicative of significant tunneling are observed for the hydrogen transfer (H‐transfer) of CH₄ and CH₃CN; however, a relatively small KIE is observed for CH₃NO₂. The detailed mechanism of the enzymatic H‐transfer responsible for the diverse range of KIEs is not yet fully understood. In this study, variational transition‐state theory including the multidimensional tunneling approximation is used to calculate rate constants to predict KIEs based on the quantum‐mechanically generated intrinsic reaction coordinates of the H‐transfer by the di(μ‐oxo)diiron(IV) complex. The results of our study reveal that the role of the di(μ‐oxo)diiron(IV) core and the H‐transfer mechanism are dependent on the substrate. For CH₄, substrate binding induces an electron transfer from the oxygen to one Fe^IV center, which in turn makes the μ‐O ligand more electrophilic and assists the H‐transfer by abstracting an electron from the C?H σ orbital. For CH₃CN, the reduction of Fe^IV to Fe^III occurs gradually with substrate binding and H‐transfer. The charge density and electrophilicity of the μ‐O ligand hardly change upon substrate binding; however, for CH₃NO₂, there seems to be no electron movement from μ‐O to Fe^IV during the H‐transfer. Thus, the μ‐O ligand appears to abstract a proton without an electron from the C?H σ orbital. The calculated KIEs for CH₄, CH₃CN, and CH₃NO₂ are 24.4, 49.0, and 8.27, respectively, at 293 K, in remarkably good agreement with the experimental values. This study reveals that diverse KIE values originate mainly from tunneling to the same di(μ‐oxo)diiron(IV) core for all substrates, and demonstrate that the reaction dynamics are essential for reproducing experimental results and understanding the role of the diiron core for methane oxidation in sMMO.     

Two new soluble iron–oxo complexes: [Fe2(μ‐O)(μ‐O2CCF3)2(O2CCF3)2(C10H8N2)2] and [Fe4(μ3‐O)2(μ‐O2CCF3)6(O2CCF3)2(C10H8N2)2]·CF3CO2H

Two new iron–oxo clusters, viz. di‐μ‐tri­fluoro­acetato‐μ‐oxo‐bis­[(2,2′‐bi­pyridine‐κ²N,N′)(tri­fluoro­acetato‐κO)­iron(III)], [Fe₂O(CF₃CO₂)₄(C₁₀H₈N₂)₂], and bis(2,2′‐bi­pyridine)­di‐μ₃‐oxo‐hexa‐μ‐tri­fluoro­acetato‐bis­(tri­fluoro­acetato)­tetrairon(III) tri­fluoro­acetic acid solvate, [Fe₄O₂(CF₃CO₂)₈(C₁₀H₈N₂)₂]·CF₃CO₂H, contain dinuclear and tetranuclear Fe^III cores, respectively. The Fe^III atoms are in distorted octahedral environments in both compounds and are linked by oxide and tri­fluoro­acetate ions. The tri­fluoro­acetate ions are either bridging (bidentate) or coordinated to the Fe^III atoms via one O atom only. The fluorinated peripheries enhance the solubility of these compounds. Formal charges for all the Fe centers were assigned by summing valences of the chemical bonds to the Fe^III atom.     

A Strongly Spin‐Frustrated FeIII7 Complex with a Canted Intermediate Spin Ground State of S=7/2 or 9/2

A disk‐shaped [Fe^III₇(Cl)(MeOH)₆(μ₃‐O)₃(μ‐OMe)₆ (PhCO₂)₆]Cl₂ complex with C₃ symmetry has been synthesised and characterised. The central tetrahedral Fe^III is 0.733 Å above the almost co‐planar Fe^III₆ wheel, to which it is connected through three μ₃‐oxide bridges. For this iron‐oxo core, the magnetic susceptibility analysis proposed a Heisenberg–Dirac–van Vleck (HDvV) mechanism that leads to an intermediate spin ground state of S=7/2 or 9/2. Within either of these ground state manifolds it is reasonable to expect spin frustration effects. The ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer (MS) analysis verifies that the central Fe^III ion easily aligns its magnetic moment antiparallel to the externally applied field direction, whereas the other six peripheral Fe^III ions keep their moments almost perpendicular to the field at stronger fields. This unusual canted spin structure reflects spin frustration. The small linewidths in the magnetic Mössbauer spectra of polycrystalline samples clearly suggest an isotropic exchange mechanism for realisation of this peculiar spin topology.     

Remarkable Anion‐Dependent Spin‐State Switching in Diiron(III) μ‐Hydroxo Bisporphyrins: What Role Do Counterions Play?

Addition of 2,4,6‐trinitrophenol (HTNP) to an ethene‐bridged diiron(III) μ‐oxo bisporphyrin ( 1 ) in CH₂Cl₂ initially leads to the formation of diiron(III) μ‐hydroxo bisporphyrin ( 2? TNP) with a phenolate counterion that, after further addition of HTNP or dissolution in a nonpolar solvent, converts to a diiron(III) complex with axial phenoxide coordination ( 3? (TNP)₂). The progress of the reaction from μ‐oxo to μ‐hydroxo to axially ligated complex has been monitored in solution by using ¹H NMR spectroscopy because their signals appear in three different and distinct spectral regions. The X‐ray structure of 2? TNP revealed that the nearly planar TNP counterion fits perfectly within the bisporphyrin cavity to form a strong hydrogen bond with the μ‐hydroxo group, which thus stabilizes the two equivalent iron centers. In contrast, such counterions as I₅, I₃, BF₄, SbF₆, and PF₆ are found to be tightly associated with one of the porphyrin rings and, therefore, stabilize two different spin states of iron in one molecule. A spectroscopic investigation of 2? TNP has revealed the presence of two equivalent iron centers with a high‐spin state (S=5/2) in the solid state that converts to intermediate spin (S=3/2) in solution. An extensive computational study by using a range of DFT methods was performed on 2? TNP and 2 ⁺, and clearly supports the experimentally observed spin flip triggered by hydrogen‐bonding interactions. The counterion is shown to perturb the spin‐state ordering through, for example, hydrogen‐bonding interactions, switched positions between counterion and axial ligand, ion‐pair interactions, and charge polarization. The present investigation thus provides a clear rationalization of the unusual counterion‐specific spin states observed in the μ‐hydroxo bisporphyrins that have so far remained the most outstanding issue.     

两种新型μ－氧桥联－双铁(III)席夫碱配合物：X-衍射分析，IR, UV-Vis, CD光谱，磁性质和电化学性质

热力学稳定的带有大环配体的μ－氧桥联－双铁配合物，由于其两个铁中心之间的有趣的电子结构和磁相互作用而受到广泛关注。μ－氧桥联－双铁席夫碱配合物，[{Fe(tbusalphn)}₂(μ-o)] (1)和[{Fe(R,R-salchxn)}₂(μ-o)] (2), 通过用咪唑或N－甲基咪唑的水溶液处理相应的单核铁氯化物，Fe(L)Cl，而获得。1和2的晶体结构通过x-射线结构分析而被确定。1属于三斜晶系，P－1空间群。2属于单斜晶系，P2₁/c空间群。由于1的配体带有庞大的叔丁基取代基，导致形成μ－氧桥联－双铁配合物时的空间拥挤，因此，其Fe-O-Fe夹角为176.5 ^o，几乎成平角。而2则由于配体上没有庞大的取代基，其Fe-O-Fe夹角为149.6^o，明显小于1的Fe-O-Fe夹角。 本文还对两种μ－氧桥联－双铁席夫碱配合物及相应的单核铁氯化物的红外光谱、紫外－可见吸收光谱及圆二色光谱性质进行了研究。与相应的单体铁配合物相比较，生成μ－氧桥联－双铁席夫碱配合物后，出现一新的红外吸收带，归属于ν_Fe-O-Fe振动。有趣的是，其数值与Fe-O-Fe夹角大小相对应。1和2除具有明显不同的Fe-O-Fe夹角外，它们的圆二色光谱却是相似的。 对1和2的磁性质研究表明，在这类化合物中两个铁(III)离子之间存在着强烈的分子内抗铁磁性偶合作用。另外，本文还采用循环伏安法对1和2的电化学性质进行了研究。     

DNA binding and nuclease activity of cationic iron(IV) and manganese(III) corrole complexes

Cationic meso(4‐N‐methylpyridyl)‐based metallocorroles, μ‐oxo iron corrole dimer ( 1b ) and manganese corrole monomer ( 2b ), were synthesized and characterized. The interactions of these two metal corrole complexes with CT‐DNA were studied by UV–visible, fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopic methods, as well as by viscosity measurements. The results revealed that 1b interacts with CT‐DNA in a difunctional binding mode, i.e. non‐classical intercalation and outside groove binding with H‐aggregation, while 2b can interact with CT‐DNA via an outside groove binding mode only. The binding constants K_b of 1b and 2b were 4.71 × 10⁵ m ^?1 and 2.17 × 10⁵ m ^?1, respectively, indicating that 1b can bind more tightly to CT‐DNA than 2b . Furthermore, both complexes may cleave the supercoiled plasmid DNA efficiently in the presence of hydrogen peroxide or tert‐butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), albeit 1b exhibited a little higher efficiency. The inhibitor tests suggested that singlet oxygen and high‐valent (oxo)iron(VI) corrole or (oxo)manganese(V) corrole might be the active intermediates responsible for the oxidative DNA scission. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Controlled Incorporation of Nitrides into W‐Fe‐S Clusters

Incorporation of monatomic 2p ligands into the core of iron–sulfur clusters has been researched since the discovery of interstitial carbide in the FeMo cofactor of Mo‐dependent nitrogenase, but has proven to be a synthetic challenge. Herein, two distinct synthetic pathways are rationalized to install nitride ligands into targeted positions of W‐Fe‐S clusters, generating unprecedented nitride‐ligated iron–sulfur clusters, namely [(Tp*)₂W₂Fe₆(μ₄‐N)₂S₆L₄]^2? (Tp*=tris(3,5‐dimethyl‐1‐pyrazolyl)hydroborate(1?), L=Cl^? or Br^?). ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer study discloses metal oxidation states of W^IV₂Fe^II₄Fe^III₂ with localized electron distribution, which is analogous to the mid‐valent iron centres of FeMo cofactor at resting state. Good agreement of Mössbauer data with the empirical linear relationship for Fe–S clusters indicates similar ligand behaviour of nitride and sulfide in such clusters, providing useful reference for reduced nitrogen in a nitrogenase‐like environment.     

A diketiminate‐bound diiron complex with a bridging carbonate ligand

Reduction of carbon dioxide by a diiron(I) complex gives μ‐carbonato‐κ³O:O′,O′′‐bis{[2,2,6,6‐tetramethyl‐3,5‐bis(2,4,6‐triisopropylphenyl)heptane‐2,5‐diiminate(1−)‐κ²N,N′]iron(II)} toluene disolvate, [Fe₂(C₄₁H₆₅N)₂(CO₃)]·2C₇H₈, a diiron(II) species with a bridging carbonate ligand. The asymmetric unit contains one diiron complex and two cocrystallized toluene solvent molecules that are distributed over three sites, one with atoms in general positions and two in crystallographic sites. Both Fe^II atoms are η²‐coordinated to diketiminate ligands, but η¹‐ and η²‐coordinated to the bridging carbonate ligand. Thus, one Fe^II center is three‐coordinate and the other is four‐coordinate. The bridging carbonate ligand is nearly perpendicular to the iron–diketiminate plane of the four‐coordinate Fe^II center and parallel to the plane of the three‐coordinate Fe^II center.     

Spectroscopic Capture and Reactivity of a Low‐Spin Cobalt(IV)‐Oxo Complex Stabilized by Binding Redox‐Inactive Metal Ions

High‐valent cobalt‐oxo intermediates are proposed as reactive intermediates in a number of cobalt‐complex‐mediated oxidation reactions. Herein we report the spectroscopic capture of low‐spin (S=1/2) Co^IV‐oxo species in the presence of redox‐inactive metal ions, such as Sc³⁺, Ce³⁺, Y³⁺, and Zn²⁺, and the investigation of their reactivity in C? H bond activation and sulfoxidation reactions. Theoretical calculations predict that the binding of Lewis acidic metal ions to the cobalt‐oxo core increases the electrophilicity of the oxygen atom, resulting in the redox tautomerism of a highly unstable [(TAML)Co^III(O^.)]^2? species to a more stable [(TAML)Co^IV(O)(Mⁿ⁺)] core. The present report supports the proposed role of the redox‐inactive metal ions in facilitating the formation of high‐valent metal–oxo cores as a necessary step for oxygen evolution in chemistry and biology.