Oxidizing intermediates from the sterically hindered iron salen complexes related to the oxygen activation by nonheme iron enzymes

Oxidizing intermediates are generated from nonheme iron(III) complexes to investigate the electronic structure and the reactivity, in comparison with the oxoiron(IV) porphyrin pi-cation radical (compound I) as a heme enzyme model. Sterically hindered iron salen complexes, bearing a fifth ligand Cl (1), OH(2) (2), OEt (3), and OH (4), are oxidized both electrochemically and chemically. Stepwise one-electron oxidation of 1 and 2 generates iron(III)-mono- and diphenoxyl radicals, as revealed by detailed spectroscopic investigations, including UV-vis, EPR, M?ssbauer, resonance Raman, and ESIMS spectroscopies. In contrast to the oxoiron(IV) formation from the hydroxoiron(III) porphyrin upon one-electron oxidation, the hydroxo complex 4 does not generate oxoiron(IV) species. Reaction of 2 with mCPBA also results in the formation of the iron(III)-phenoxyl radical. One-electron oxidation of 3 leads to oxidative degradation of the fifth EtO ligand to liberate acetaldehyde even at 203 K. The iron(III)-phenoxyl radical shows high reactivity for alcoxide on iron(III) but exhibits virtually no reactivity for alcohols including even benzyl alcohol without a base to remove an alcohol proton. This study explains unique properties of mononuclear nonheme enzymes with Tyr residues and also the poor epoxidation activity of Fe salen compared to Mn and Cr salen compounds.     

N-donor effects on carboxylate binding in mononuclear iron(II) complexes of a sterically hindered benzoate ligand

Using the sterically hindered 2,6-dimesitylbenzoate ligand Mes2ArCO2-, a series of mononuclear Fe(II) carboxylate complexes has been obtained with the general formula (Mes2ArCO2)2Fe(base)2 (base = 1-methylimidazole (MeIm), pyridine (Py), 2-picoline (2-Pic), 2,5-lutidine (2,5-Lut), 2,6-lutidine (2,6-Lut), (base)2 = N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediamine (TMEDA)). For the monodentate base adducts, single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed several different structural types ranging from distorted tetrahedral to distorted octahedral that correlate with the degree of alpha-substitution of the N-donors. Increasing alpha-substitution leads to the lengthening of the Fe-N bond, which in turn results in a change in carboxylate binding mode from eta 1 to eta 2. We surmise that this change is due to an electrostatic effect and is driven by increasing the Lewis acidity of the Fe center. Such a simple process for inducing carboxylate shifts could play a critical role in biological systems.     

An alternative model for the asymmetric addition of cyanide to aldehydes catalysed by titanium–salen complexes based on a structurally related iron–salen complex

X-ray crystallographic analysis of [(Fe(3,5-Bu^t-salen))₂O] 4 allied with comparison of structurally related analogues is used to support an alternative transition state in the titanium–salen catalysed addition of cyanide to aldehydes. Experimental conditions for the preparation and isolation of [(Fe(3,5Bu^t-salen))₂O] are also reported.     

Bio-inspired, side-on attachment of a ruthenium photosensitizer to an iron hydrogenase active site model

The first ruthenium-diiron complex [(mu-pdt)Fe2(CO)5{PPh2(C6H4CCbpy)}Ru(bpy)2]2+ 1 (pdt = propyldithiolate, bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine) is described in which the photoactive ruthenium trisbipyridyl unit is linked to a model of the iron hydrogenase active site by a ligand directly attached to one of the iron centers. Electrochemical and photophysical studies show that the light-induced MLCT excited state of the title complex is localized towards the potential diiron acceptor unit. However, the relatively mild potential required for the reduction of the acetylenic bipyridine together with the easily oxidized diiron portion leads to a reductive quenching of the excited state, instead. This process results in a transiently oxidized diiron unit which may explain the surprisingly high light sensitivity of complex 1.     

A family of four-coordinate iron(II) complexes bearing the sterically hindered tris(pyrazolyl)borato ligand Tp(tBu,Me)

A new family of 14‐electron, four‐coordinate iron(II) complexes of the general formula [Tp^tBu,MeFeX] (Tp^tBu,Me is the sterically hindered hydrotris(3‐tert‐butyl‐5‐methyl‐pyrazolyl) borate ligand and X=Cl ( 1 ), Br, I) were synthesized by salt metathesis of FeX₂ with Tp^tBu,MeK. The related fluoride complex was prepared by reaction of 1 with AgBF₄. Chloride 1 proved to be a good precursor for ligand substitution reactions, generating a series of four‐coordinate iron(II) complexes with carbon, oxygen, and sulphur ligands. All of these complexes were fully characterized by conventional spectroscopic methods and most were characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray crystallographic analysis. Magnetic measurements for all complexes agreed with a high‐spin (d⁶, S=2) electronic configuration. The halide series enabled the estimation of the covalent radius of iron in these complexes as 1.24 Å.     

Synthesis and characterization of an iron(III) complex of glycine derivative of bis(phenol)amine ligand in relevance to catechol dioxygenase active site

A glycine derivative of bis(phenol)amine ligand (HL^Gly) was synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR and IR spectroscopies. The iron(III) complex (L^GlyFe) of this ligand was synthesized and characterized by IR, UV-Vis, X-ray and magnetic susceptibility studies. X-ray analysis reveals that in L^GlyFe the iron(III) center has a distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination sphere and is surrounded by an amine nitrogen, a carboxylate and two phenolate oxygen atoms. The mentioned carboxylate group acts as μ-bridging ligand for iron centers of neighbor complexes. The variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility indicates that L^GlyFe is the paramagnetic high spin iron(III) complex. It has been shown that electrochemical oxidation of this complex is ligand-centered due to the oxidation of phenolate to the phenoxyl radicals. The L^GlyFe complex also undergoes an electrochemical metal-centered reduction of ferric to ferrous ion. The oxygenation of 3,5-di-tert-butyl-catechol, with L^GlyFe in the presence of dioxygen was investigated.     

Carbon monoxide as an intrinsic ligand to iron in the active site of the iron-sulfur-cluster-free hydrogenase H2-forming methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase as revealed by infrared spectroscopy

The iron-sulfur-cluster-free hydrogenase Hmd (H(2)-forming methylenetetrahydromethanopterin dehydrogenase) from methanogenic archaea has recently been found to contain one iron associated tightly with an extractable cofactor of yet unknown structure. We report here that Hmd contains intrinsic CO bound to the Fe. Chemical analysis of Hmd revealed the presence of 2.4 +/- 0.2 mol of CO/mol of iron. Fourier transform infrared spectra of the native enzyme showed two bands of almost equal intensity at 2011 and 1944 cm(-)(1), interpreted as the stretching frequencies of two CO molecules bound to the same iron in an angle of 90 degrees . We also report on the effect of extrinsic (12)CO, (13)CO, (12)CN(-), and (13)CN(-) on the IR spectrum of Hmd.     

Oxygenation of thiolates to S-bonded sulfinate in an iron III complex related to nitrile hydratase

Air oxidation of the iron(III) complex derived from (2-mercaptoisobutyryl)-4,5-dichloro-O-phenylenediamine in the presence of Et4NCN afforded the corresponding disulfinato species. With two carboxamido nitrogens trans to two S-bonded sulfinates, this complex mimics the disulfinate inactive form of Fe-NHase.     

Spectroscopic and crystallographic evidence for the N-protonated FeIFeI azadithiolate complex related to the active site of Fe-only hydrogenases

The complex [{(mu-SCH2)2N(CH2C6H4-2-Br)}Fe2(CO)6] and its N-protonated species, as structural models of the Fe-only hydrogenase active site, were identified spectroscopically and crystallographically, and their molecular structures show the 0.04-0.1 A lengthening of the three N-C bonds and an intramolecular HBr contact (2.82 Angstroms) in the crystalline state of the N-protonated species.     

Synthesis,structure and electrocatalytic H2-evoluting activity of a dinickel model complex related to the active site of [NiFe]-hydrogenases

Structural and functional biomimicking of the active site of [NiFe]-hydrogenases can provide helpful hints for designing bioinspired catalysts to replace the expensive noble metal catalysts for H₂ generation and uptake. Treatment of dianion [Ni(phma)]²⁻ [H₄phma = N,N'-1,2-phenylenebis(2-mercaptoacetamide)] with [NiCl₂(dppp)] (dppp = bis(diphenylphosphino)propane) yielded a dinickel product [Ni(phma)(μ-S,S')Ni(dppp)] (1) as the model complex relevant to the active site of [NiFe]-H₂ases. The structure of complex 1 has been characterized by single-crystal X-ray analysis. From cyclic voltammetry and controlled potential electrolysis studies, complex 1 was found to be a moderate electrocatalyst for the H₂-evoluting reaction using ClCH₂COOH as the proton source.     

Evidence for the formation of terminal hydrides by protonation of an asymmetric iron hydrogenase active site mimic

Treatment of [Fe2(mu-pdt)(CO)6] [pdt=S(CH2)3S] with dppe (Ph2PCH2CH2PPh2) in refluxing toluene affords the asymmetric complex [Fe2(mu-pdt)(CO)4(dppe)] (1). Protonation of 1 with HBF4-Et2O in CH2Cl2 gives at room temperature the mu-hydrido derivative [Fe2(mu-pdt)(CO)4(dppe)(mu-H)](BF4) (2). Monitoring the reaction by 1H, 31P, and 13C NMR at low temperature reveals unambiguously that the process of the protonation of 1 implies terminal hydride intermediates.     

Reversible O-O bond cleavage and formation of a peroxo moiety of a peroxocarbonate ligand mediated by an iron(III) complex

A mononuclear iron(III) complex containing a peroxocarbonate ligand, [Fe(qn)2(O2C(O)O)]- (qn = quinaldinate), underwent the reversible O-O bond cleavage and reformation of the peroxo group via the formation of FeIV=O or FeV=O species, which was confirmed by the resonance Raman and ESI-TOF/MS measurements.     

A CuII complex with an carbamoylcyanonitrosomethanide ligand formed in situ by the nucleophilic addition of water to dicyanonitrosomethanide: structure,spectral and magnetic properties

The complex (2,2′‐biquinoline‐κ²N,N′)(carbamoylcyanonitrosomethanide‐κ²N,O)chloridocopper(II) acetonitrile monosolvate, [Cu(C₃H₂N₃O₂)Cl(C₁₈H₁₂N₂)]·CH₃CN or [Cu(ccnm)Cl(biq)]·acn (acn is acetonitrile, biq is 2,2′‐biquinoline and ccnm is carbamoylcyanonitrosomethanide), (I), was prepared as a result of nucleophilic addition of water to the dicyanonitrosomethanide ion in the presence of Cu^II and biq. IR spectroscopy confirmed the presence of ccnm, biq and acn in (I). The solid‐state structure consists of the neutral complex containing ccnm and biq ligands, coordinated to the Cu^II atom in a bidendate chelating manner, and a chloride ligand, resulting in a distorted tetragonal pyramidal coordination of Cu^II. The asymmetric unit is supplemented by one molecule of solvated acn which, along with the nitrile group of ccnm, serves as an acceptor in intermolecular hydrogen bonding, creating infinite chains along the b axis. Magnetic measurements revealed a paramagnetic behaviour with a very small Weiss temperature Θ = −0.32 K and high anisotropy of the g tensor (g_x = 2.036, g_y = 2.120 and g_z = 2.205).     

Multiple-timescale photoreactivity of a model compound related to the active site of [FeFe]-hydrogenase

Ultraviolet (UV) photolysis of (mu-S(CH 2) 3S)Fe 2(CO) 6 ( 1), a model compound of the Fe-hydrogenase enzyme system, has been carried out. When ultrafast UV-pump infrared (IR)-probe spectroscopy, steady-state Fourier transform IR spectroscopic methods, and density functional theory simulations are employed, it has been determined that irradiation of 1 in an alkane solution at 350 nm leads to the formation of two isomers of the 16-electron complex (mu-S(CH 2) 3S)Fe 2(CO) 5 within 50 ps with evidence of a weakly associated solvent adduct complex. 1 is subsequently recovered on timescales covering several minutes. These studies constitute the first attempt to study the photochemistry and reactivity of these enzyme active site models in solution following carbonyl ligand photolysis.