Combined experimental and theoretical study on aromatic hydroxylation by mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes

The hydroxylation of aromatic compounds by mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes, [FeIV(Bn-tpen)(O)]2+ (Bn-tpen=N-benzyl-N,N',N'-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine) and [FeIV(N4Py)(O)]2+ (N4Py=N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine), has been investigated by a combined experimental and theoretical approach. In the experimental work, we have performed kinetic studies of the oxidation of anthracene with nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes generated in situ, thereby determining kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, a Hammett rho value, and a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) value. A large negative Hammett rho value of -3.9 and an inverse KIE value of 0.9 indicate that the iron-oxo group attacks the aromatic ring via an electrophilic pathway. By carrying out isotope labeling experiments, the oxygen in oxygenated products was found to derive from the nonheme iron(IV)-oxo species. In the theoretical work, we have conducted density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the hydroxylation of benzene by [FeIV(N4Py)(O)]2+. The calculations show that the reaction proceeds via two-state reactivity patterns on competing triplet and quintet spin states via an initial rate determining electrophilic substitution step. In analogy to heme iron(IV)-oxo catalysts, the ligand is noninnocent and actively participates in the reaction mechanism by reshuttling a proton from the ipso position to the oxo group. Calculated kinetic isotope effects of C6H6 versus C6D6 confirm an inverse isotope effect for the electrophilic substitution pathway. Based on the experimental and theoretical results, we have concluded that the aromatic ring oxidation by mononuclear nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes does not occur via a hydrogen atom abstraction mechanism but involves an initial electrophilic attack on the pi-system of the aromatic ring to produce a tetrahedral radical or cationic sigma-complex.     

Dioxygen activation and catalytic aerobic oxidation by a mononuclear nonheme iron(II) complex

We have used dioxygen, not artificial oxidants such as peracids, iodosylarenes, and hydroperoxides, in the generation of a mononuclear nonheme oxoiron(IV) complex, [Fe(IV)(TMC)(O)]2+ (TMC = 1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), from its corresponding Fe(II) complex, [Fe(TMC)(CF3SO3)2]. The formation of oxoiron(IV) species by activating dioxygen was markedly dependent on iron(II) complexes and solvents, and this observation was interpreted with the electronic effect of iron(II) complexes on dioxygen activation to form oxoiron(IV) species. A catalytic aerobic oxidation of organic substrates was demonstrated in the presence of the [Fe(TMC)]2+ complex. By carrying out 18O-labeled water experiment, we were able to conclude that the oxidation of organic substrates was mediated by an oxoiron(IV) intermediate, not by a radical type of autoxidation process.     

Efficient hydroxylation of aromatic compounds catalyzed by an iron(II) complex with H2O2

A mononuclear iron(II) complex, Et₄N[Fe(C₁₀H₆NO₂)₃], coordinated by three 1‐nitroso‐2‐naphtholate ligands in a fac‐N₃O₃ geometry, was initiated to catalyze the direct hydroxylation of aromatic compounds to phenols in the presence of H₂O₂ under mild conditions. Various reaction parameters, including the catalyst dosage, temperature, mole ratio of H₂O₂ to benzene, reaction time and solvents which could affect the hydroxylation activity of the catalyst, were investigated systematically for benzene hydroxylation to obtain ideal benzene conversion and high phenol distribution. Under the optimum conditions, the benzene conversion was 10.2% and only phenol was detected. The catalyst was also found to be active towards hydroxylation of other aromatic compounds with high substrate conversions. The hydroxyl radical formed due to the reaction of the catalyst and H₂O₂ was determined to be the crucial active intermediate in the hydroxylation. A rational pathway for the formation of the hydroxyl radical was proposed and justified by the density functional theory calculations. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Oxygen activation by nonheme iron(II) complexes: alpha-keto carboxylate versus carboxylate

Mononuclear iron(II) alpha-keto carboxylate and carboxylate compounds of the sterically hindered tridentate face-capping ligand Tp(Ph2) (Tp(Ph2) = hydrotris(3,5-diphenylpyrazol-1-yl)borate) were prepared as models for the active sites of nonheme iron oxygenases. The structures of an aliphatic alpha-keto carboxylate complex, [Fe(II)(Tp(Ph2))(O(2)CC(O)CH(3))], and the carboxylate complexes [Fe(II)(Tp(Ph2))(OBz)] and [Fe(II)(Tp(Ph2))(OAc)(3,5-Ph(2)pzH)] were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, all of which have five-coordinate iron centers. Both the alpha-keto carboxylate and the carboxylate compounds react with dioxygen resulting in the hydroxylation of a single ortho phenyl position of the Tp(Ph2) ligand. The oxygenation products were characterized spectroscopically, and the structure of the octahedral iron(III) phenolate product [Fe(III)(Tp(Ph2))(OAc)(3,5-Ph(2)pzH)] was established by X-ray diffraction. The reaction of the alpha-keto carboxylate model compounds with oxygen to produce the phenolate product occurs with concomitant oxidative decarboxylation of the alpha-keto acid. Isotope labeling studies show that (18)O(2) ends up in the Tp(Ph2) phenolate oxygen and the carboxylate derived from the alpha-keto acid. The isotope incorporation mirrors the dioxygenase nature of the enzymatic systems. Parallel studies on the carboxylate complexes demonstrate that the oxygen in the hydroxylated ligand is also derived from molecular oxygen. The oxygenation of the benzoylformate complex is demonstrated to be first order in metal complex and dioxygen, with activation parameters DeltaH++ = 25 +/- 2 kJ mol(-1) and DeltaS++ = -179 +/- 6 J mol(-1) K(-1). The rate of appearance of the iron(III) phenolate product is sensitive to the nature of the substituent on the benzoylformate ligand, exhibiting a Hammett rho value of +1.3 indicative of a nucleophilic mechanism. The proposed reaction mechanism involves dioxygen binding to produce an iron(III) superoxide species, nucleophilic attack of the superoxide at the alpha-keto functionality, and oxidative decarboxylation of the adduct to afford the oxidizing species that attacks the Tp(Ph2) phenyl ring. Interestingly, the alpha-keto carboxylate complexes react 2 orders of magnitude faster than the carboxylate complexes, thus emphasizing the key role that the alpha-keto functionality plays in oxygen activation by alpha-keto acid-dependent iron enzymes.     

Oxidative properties of a nonheme Ni(II)(O2) complex: Reactivity patterns for C-H activation, aromatic hydroxylation and heteroatom oxidation

Density functional theory calculations on the reactivity of a Ni(II)-superoxo complex in C-H bond activation, aromatic hydroxylation and heteroatom oxidation reactions have been explored; the Ni(II)-superoxo complex is able to react with substrates with weak C-H bonds and PPh(3).     

Self-hydroxylation of perbenzoic acids at a nonheme iron(II) center

Treatment of mononuclear nonheme iron(II) complexes bearing two cis-labile sites with perbenzoic acids results in the self-hydroxylation of the aromatic ring to form the corresponding iron(III)-salicylate complexes through an intramolecular oxo-transfer process.     

A high-spin iron(IV)-oxo complex supported by a trigonal nonheme pyrrolide platform

We report the generation and characterization of a new high-spin iron(IV)-oxo complex supported by a trigonal nonheme pyrrolide platform. Oxygen-atom transfer to [(tpa(Mes))Fe(II)](-) (tpa(Ar) = tris(5-arylpyrrol-2-ylmethyl)amine) in acetonitrile solution affords the Fe(III)-alkoxide product [(tpa(Mes2MesO))Fe(III)](-) resulting from intramolecular C-H oxidation with no observable ferryl intermediates. In contrast, treatment of the phenyl derivative [(tpa(Ph))Fe(II)](-) with trimethylamine N-oxide in acetonitrile solution produces the iron(IV)-oxo complex [(tpa(Ph))Fe(IV)(O)](-) that has been characterized by a suite of techniques, including mass spectrometry as well as UV-vis, FTIR, M?ssbauer, XAS, and parallel-mode EPR spectroscopies. Mass spectral, FTIR, and optical absorption studies provide signatures for the iron-oxo chromophore, and M?ssbauer and XAS measurements establish the presence of an Fe(IV) center. Moreover, the Fe(IV)-oxo species gives parallel-mode EPR features indicative of a high-spin, S = 2 system. Preliminary reactivity studies show that the high-spin ferryl tpa(Ph) complex is capable of mediating intermolecular C-H oxidation as well as oxygen-atom transfer chemistry.     

High-valent nonheme iron. Two distinct iron(IV) species derived from a common iron(II) precursor

The reaction of [Fe(II)(beta-BPMCN)(OTf)2] (1, BPMCN = N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N,N'-dimethyl-trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane) with tBuOOH at low-temperature yields alkylperoxoiron(III) intermediates 2 in CH2Cl2 and 2-NCMe in CH3CN. At -45 degrees C and above, 2-NCMe converts to a pale green species 3 (lambda(max) = 753 nm, epsilon = 280 M(-1) cm(-1)) in 90% yield, identified as [Fe(IV)(O)(BPMCN)(NCCH3)]2+ by comparison to other nonheme [Fe(IV)(O)(L)]2+ complexes. Below -55 degrees C in CH2Cl2, 2 decays instead to form deep turquoise 4 (lambda(max) = 656, 845 nm; epsilon = 4000, 3600 M(-1) cm(-1)), formulated to be an unprecedented alkylperoxoiron(IV) complex [Fe(IV)(BPMCN)(OH)(OOtBu)]2+ on the basis of M?ssbauer, EXAFS, resonance Raman, NMR, and mass spectral evidence. The reactivity of 1 with tBuOOH in the two solvents reveals an unexpectedly rich iron(IV) chemistry that can be supported by the BPMCN ligand.     

The effect of the axial ligand on distinct reaction tunneling for methane hydroxylation by nonheme iron(iv)-oxo complexes

Comprehensive density functional theory computations on substrate hydroxylation by a range of nonheme iron(iv)-oxo model systems [Fe(IV)(O)(NH(3))(4)L](+) (where L = CF(3)CO(2)(-), F(-), Cl(-), N(3)(-), NCS(-), NC(-), OH(-)) have been investigated to establish the effects of axial ligands with different degrees of electron donor ability on the reactivity of the distinct reaction channels. The results show that the electron-pushing capability of the axial ligand can exert a considerable influence on the different reaction channels. The σ-pathway reactivity decreases as the electron-donating ability of the axial ligand strengthens, while the π-pathway reactivity follows an opposite trend. Moreover, the apparently antielectrophilic trend observed for the energy gap between the triplet π- and quintet σ-channel (ΔG(T-Q)) stems from the fact that the reaction reactivity can be fine-controlled by the interplay between the exchange-stabilization benefiting from the (5)TS(H) relative to the (3)TS(H) by most nonheme enzymes and the destabilization effect of the orbital by the anionic axial ligand. When the former counteracts the latter, the quintet σ-pathway will be more effective than the other alternatives. Nevertheless, when the dramatic destabilization effect of the orbital by a strong binding axial σ-donor ligand like OH(-) counteracts but does not override the exchange-stabilization, the barrier in the quintet σ-pathway will remain identical to the triplet π-pathway barrier. Indeed, the axial ligand does not change the intrinsic reaction mechanism in its respective pathway; however, it can affect the energy barriers of different reaction channels for C-H activation. As such, the tuning of the reactivity of the different reaction channels can be realised by increasing/decreasing the electron pushing ability.     

electrochemical generation of a nonheme oxoiron(IV) complex

The complex [Fe(IV)O(N4Py)]2+ (N4Py = N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine) has been prepared by bulk electrolysis in aqueous CH3CN and CH2Cl2, and its redox properties characterized. Bulk chronocoulometry and spectropotentiometry experiments in CH3CN show that [Fe(II)(N4Py)(NCCH3)]2+ can be oxidized quantitatively to its iron(III) derivative at an applied potential of +0.71 V vs ferrocene and then to the oxoiron(IV) complex (in the presence of added water) at potentials above +1.3 V. The E1/2 value for the Fe(IV/III) couple has been estimated to be +0.90 V from spectropotentiometric titrations in CH3CN and cyclic voltammetric measurements in CH2Cl2.     

Unusual efficiency of a non-heme iron complex as catalyst for the hydroxylation of aromatic compounds by hydrogen peroxide: comparison with iron porphyrins

The non-heme iron complex, Fe(TPAA = tris-〚N-(2-pyridylmethyl)-2-aminoethyl〛amine)(ClO₄)₂, is a bad catalyst for the epoxidation of alkenes such as cyclooctene, cyclohexene and cis-stilbene and for the hydroxylation of alkanes such as adamantane by H₂O₂, when compared to the iron porphyrin Fe〚TDCPN₅P = meso-tetra-(2,6-dichlorophenyl)-β-pentanitroporphyrin〛Cl. At the opposite, Fe(TPAA)(ClO₄)₂ is a much better catalyst for the hydroxylation of arenes by H₂O₂; in its presence, anisole, toluene, ethylbenzene, benzene and chlorobenzene are transformed into the corresponding phenols, with respective yields of 53, 17, 24, 22 and 13% based on H₂O₂. Interestingly, in Fe(TPAA)-catalysed oxidations of anisole, toluene and ethylbenzene by H₂O₂, hydroxylation of the aromatic ring is by far the major reaction, even when compared to usually favoured reactions such as benzylic oxidation and oxidative demethylation.     

Mechanistic insight into the aromatic hydroxylation by high-valent iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin pi-cation radical complexes

Mechanistic studies of the aromatic hydroxylation by high-valent iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin pi-cation radicals revealed that the aromatic oxidation involves an initial electrophilic attack on the pi-system of the aromatic ring to produce a tetrahedral radical or cationic sigma-complex. The mechanism was proposed on the basis of experimental results such as a large negative Hammett rho value and an inverse kinetic isotope effect. By carrying out isotope labeling studies, the oxygen in oxygenated products was found to derive from the iron-oxo porphyrin intermediates.     

Intramolecular arene hydroxylation versus intermolecular olefin epoxidation by (mu-eta2:eta2-peroxo)dicopper(II) complex supported by dinucleating ligand

A discrete (mu-eta2:eta2-peroxo)Cu(II)2 complex, [Cu2(O2)(H-L)]2+, is capable of performing not only intramolecular hydroxylation of a m-xylyl linker of a dinucleating ligand but also intermolecular epoxidation of styrene via electrophilic reaction to the C=C bond and hydroxylation of THF by H-atom abstraction.