Fe2+-catalyzed heterolytic RO-OH bond cleavage and substrate oxidation: a functional synthetic non-heme iron monooxygenase system

The reaction of [Fe22+(H2Hbamb)2(N-MeIm)2], [1], a binuclear, non-heme iron complex, with 2-methyl-1-phenylprop-2-yl hydroperoxide (MPPH) shows that [1] induces heterolytic cleavage of the peroxy O-O bond. Catalytic atom transfer reactions (1:MPPH:PhSMe 1:596:6011) resulted in the highly efficient (99 +/- 1%), catalytic oxidation of phenyl methyl sulfide to phenyl methyl sulfoxide/sulfone (T.N. = 500/11 respectively) and cyclohexane to cyclohexanol/cyclohexanone (T.N. = 230/5 respectively) showing the highly efficient, catalytic capacity of [1] to carry out oxygen insertion chemistry.     

Mechanistic investigation of cyclohexane oxidation by a non-heme iron complex: evidence of product inhibition by UV/vis stopped-flow studies

We report herein studies examining a binuclear non-heme iron model complex that is capable of catalytically oxidizing cyclohexane to cyclohexanol in excess of 200 turnovers, relative to the iron complex, and cyclohexanone (5 turnovers) via heterolytic cleavage of the mechanistic probe peroxide MPPH. Low-temperature stopped-flow electronic spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the mechanism of the reaction of this diiron(II) compound, Fe(2)(H(2)Hbamb)(2)(N-MeIm)(2), (H(2)Hbamb = 2,3-bis(2-hydroxybenzamido)dimethylbutane) (1) with MPPH. In the absence of substrates, the reaction proceeds in three consecutive steps starting with oxygen atom transfer to the diferrous complex to generate a putative [Fe(IV)=O species], thought to be the oxidant in the catalytic cycle. Over time, the rate of catalysis is observed to decrease without consumption of all available peroxide. By utilizing low-temperature stopped-flow UV/vis kinetic studies, the diferrous complex, 1, is shown to undergo product inhibition arising from the interaction of either cyclohexanol or MPP-OL product species to the diiron center, therefore precluding further reaction with MPPH.     

Unraveling the reactive species of a functional non-heme iron monooxygenase model using stopped-flow UV-vis spectroscopy

Low-temperature stopped-flow electronic spectroscopy was utilized to resolve the intermediates formed in the reaction of a diiron(II) compound, Fe2(H2Hbamb)2(N-MeIm)2 (H4HBamb = 2,3-bis(2-hydroxybenzamido)dimethylbutane), 1, with the oxygen atom donors 2,6-dimethyliodosylbenzene and p-cyanodimethylaniline N-oxide and the mechanistic probe hydroperoxide 2-methyl-1-phenylprop-2-yl hydroperoxide (MPPH). Previous studies showed that 1 is capable of catalytically oxidizing cyclohexane to cyclohexanol (300 turnovers) via a pathway involving the heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond of MPPH (>98% peroxide utilization). We now report intimate details of the formation of the reactive intermediate and its subsequent decay in the absence of substrates. The reaction, which is independent of the nature of the oxidant, proceeds in three consecutive steps assigned as (i) oxygen-atom transfer to one of the iron centers of 1 to form an FeIV=O species, 2, (ii) ligand rearrangement to 3, and (iii) internal collapse of the terminal oxo group to generate a diferric, mu-oxo species, 4. Assignment of the second step as a ligand rearrangement was corroborated by stopped-flow spectroscopic studies of the one-electron oxidation of the starting diferrous 1, which is also known to undergo ligand rearrangement upon the formation of the [FeII, FeIII] mixed-valent complex. Observation of the reaction rates over a temperature range allowed for the determination of activation parameters for each of the three steps. The role of the ligand reorganization in the energetic profile for the formation of the catalytically competent intermediate is discussed, along with the potential biological significance of the internal conversion of the active oxidant to the inert, mu-oxo diiron(III) dimer, 4.     

A density functional study of O-O bond cleavage for a biomimetic non-heme iron complex demonstrating an Fe(v)-intermediate

Density functional theory using the B3LYP hybrid functional has been employed to investigate the reactivity of Fe(TPA) complexes (TPA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), which are known to catalyze stereospecific hydrocarbon oxidation when H(2)O(2) is used as oxidant. The reaction pathway leading to O-O bond heterolysis in the active catalytic species Fe(III)(TPA)-OOH has been explored, and it is shown that a high-valent iron-oxo intermediate is formed, where an Fe(V) oxidation state is attained, in agreement with previous suggestions based on experiments. In contrast to the analogous intermediate [(Por.)Fe(IV)=O](+1) in P450, the TPA ligand is not oxidized, and the electrons are extracted almost exclusively from the mononuclear iron center. The corresponding homolytic O-O bond cleavage, yielding the two oxidants Fe(IV)=O and the OH. radical, has also been considered, and it is shown that this pathway is inaccessible in the hydrocarbon oxidation reaction with Fe(TPA) and hydrogen peroxide. Investigations have also been performed for the O-O cleavage in the Fe(III)(TPA)-alkylperoxide species. In this case, the barrier for O-O homolysis is found to be slightly lower, leading to loss of stereospecificity and supporting the experimental conclusion that this is the preferred pathway for alkylperoxide oxidants. The difference between hydroperoxide and alkylperoxide as oxidant derives from the higher O-O bond strength for hydrogen peroxide (by 8.0 kcal/mol).     

Theoretical study of the mechanism of oxoiron(IV) formation from H2O2 and a nonheme iron(II) complex: O-O cleavage involving proton-coupled electron transfer

It has recently been shown that the nonheme oxoiron(IV) species supported by the 1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane ligand (TMC) can be generated in near-quantitative yield by reacting [Fe(II)(TMC)(OTf)(2)] with a stoichiometric amount of H(2)O(2) in CH(3)CN in the presence of 2,6-lutidine (Li, F.; England, J.; Que, L., Jr. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2010, 132, 2134-2135). This finding has major implications for O-O bond cleavage events in both Fenton chemistry and nonheme iron enzymes. To understand the mechanism of this process, especially the intimate details of the O-O bond cleavage step, a series of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and analyses have been carried out. Two distinct reaction paths (A and B) were identified. Path A consists of two principal steps: (1) coordination of H(2)O(2) to Fe(II) and (2) a combination of partial homolytic O-O bond cleavage and proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). The latter combination renders the rate-limiting O-O cleavage effectively a heterolytic process. Path B proceeds via a simultaneous homolytic O-O bond cleavage of H(2)O(2) and Fe-O bond formation. This is followed by H abstraction from the resultant Fe(III)-OH species by an ?OH radical. Calculations suggest that path B is plausible in the absence of base. However, once 2,6-lutidine is added to the reacting system, the reaction barrier is lowered and more importantly the mechanistic path switches to path A, where 2,6-lutidine plays an essential role as an acid-base catalyst in a manner similar to how the distal histidine or glutamate residue assists in compound I formation in heme peroxidases. The reaction was found to proceed predominantly on the quintet spin state surface, and a transition to the triplet state, the experimentally known ground state for the TMC-oxoiron(IV) species, occurs in the last stage of the oxoiron(IV) formation process.     

A "push-pull" mechanism for heterolytic o-o bond cleavage in hydroperoxo manganese porphyrins

A water-soluble manganese porphyrin, 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-yl)porphyrinatomanganese(III) (Mn(III)TDMImP) is shown to react with H(2)O(2) to generate a relatively stable dioxomanganese(V) porphyrin complex (a compound I analog). Stopped-flow kinetic studies revealed Michaelis Menton-type saturation kinetics for H(2)O(2). The visible spectrum of a compound 0 type intermediate, assigned as Mn(III)(OH)(OOH)TDMImP, can be directly observed under saturating H(2)O(2) conditions (Soret band at 428 nm and Q bands at 545 and 578 nm). The rate-determining O-O heterolysis step was found to have a very small activation enthalpy (ΔH(≠) = 4.2 ± 0.2 kcal mol(-1)) and a large, negative activation entropy (ΔS(≠) = -36 ± 1 cal mol(-1) K(-1)). The O-O bond cleavage reaction was pH independent at 8.8 < pH < 10.4 with a first-order rate constant of 66 ± 12 s(-1). These observations indicate that the O-O bond in Mn(III)(OH)(OOH)TDMImP is cleaved via a concerted "push-pull" mechanism. In the transition state, the axial (proximal) (-)OH is partially deprotonated ("push"), while the terminal oxygen in (-)OOH is partially protonated ("pull") as a water molecule is released to the medium. This mechanism is reminiscent of O-O bond cleavage in heme enzymes, such as peroxidases and cytochrome P450, and similar to the fast, reversible O-Br bond breaking and forming reaction mediated by similar manganese porphyrins. The small enthalpy of activation suggests that this O-O bond cleavage could also be made reversible.     

Insights into the structure and reactivity of acylperoxo complexes in the Kochi-Jacobsen-Katsuki catalytic system. A density functional study

Structural properties of the acylperoxo complexes [(Salen)Mn(III)RCO(3)] (2) and [(Salen)Mn(IV)RCO(3)] (3), the critical intermediates in the Kochi-Jacobsen-Katsuki reaction utilizing organic peracids or O(2)/aldehydes as oxygen source, have been studied with the density functional theory. Four distinct isomers, cis(O,N), cis(N,O), cis(N,N), and trans, of these complexes have been located. The isomer 2-cis(O,N) in its quintet ground state, and nearly degenerate isomers 3-cis(O,N) and 3-cis(N,O) in their quartet ground states are found to be the lowest in energy among the other isomers. The O-O bond cleavage in the cis(O,N), cis(N,O), and trans isomers of 2 and 3 has been elucidated. In complex 3, the O-O bond is inert. On the contrary, in complex 2, the O-O bond cleaves via two distinct pathways. The first pathway occurs exclusively on the quintet potential energy surface (PES) and corresponds to heterolytic O-O bond scission coupled with insertion of an oxygen atom into an Mn-N(Salen) bond to form 2-N-oxo species; this pathway has the lowest barrier of 14.9 kcal/mol and is 15.6 kcal/mol exothermic. The second pathway is tentatively a spin crossover pathway. In particular, for 2-cis(O,N) and 2-cis(N,O) the second pathway proceeds through a crucial minimum on the seam of crossing (MSX) between the quintet and triplet PESs followed by heterolytic O-O cleavage on the triplet PES, and produces unusual triplet 2-cis(O,N)- and 2-cis(N,O)-oxo ([(Salen)Mn(V)(O)RCO(2)]) species; this pathway requires 12.8 kcal/mol and is 1.4 kcal/mol endothermic. In contrast, for the 2-trans isomer, spin crossing is less crucial and the O-O cleavage proceeds homolytically to generate 2-trans-oxo [(Salen)Mn(IV)(O)] species with RCO(2) radical; this pathway, however, cannot compete with that in 2-cis because it needs 21.9 kcal/mol for activation and is 15.3 kcal/mol endothermic. In summary, the O-O cleavage occurs predominantly in the 2-cis complexes, and may proceed either through pure high spin or spin crossover heterolytic pathway to produce 2-cis-oxo and 2-N-oxo species.     

Exploring the possibility of high-valent copper in models of copper proteins with a three-histidine copper-binding motif

An important function of many copper-containing proteins is activation of O2 and subsequent substrate oxidation. The Cu (III) oxidation state is generally considered to be less accessible because of the highly positive Cu (III)/Cu (II) redox potentials with typical amino acid ligands. Here, we employ density functional (DFT) calculations to explore to what extent copper (III) may be accessed in a biologically-relevant coordination environment around a mononuclear copper center, by breaking the oxygen-oxygen bond in a copper-(hydro) peroxide complex. In agreement with previous findings by Solomon and co-workers on copper models with related coordination patterns, the formally high-valent copper complex produced by O-O bond cleavage appears to harbor both oxidizing equivalents on the ligands. The potential energy surface for such a reaction reveals that with the three-histidine binding motif at the copper, O-O bond cleavage is not impossible, but rather disfavored thermodynamically.      

Mechanistic study of iron(III) [tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin triflate (F(20)TPP)Fe(OTf) catalyzed cyclooctene epoxidation by hydrogen peroxide

We have recently proposed a mechanism for the epoxidation of cyclooctene by H2O2 catalyzed by iron(III) [tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)]porphyrin chloride, (F20TPP)FeCl, in solvent containing methanol [Stephenson, N. A.; Bell, A.T. Inorg. Chem. 2006, 45, 2758-2766]. In that study, we found that catalysis did not occur unless (F20TPP)FeCl first dissociated, a process facilitated by the solvation of the Cl- anion by methanol and the coordination of methanol to the (F20TPP)Fe+ cation. Methanol as well as other alcohols was also found to facilitate the heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond of H2O2 coordinated to the (F20TPP)Fe+ cation via a generalized acid mechanism. In the present study, we have shown that catalytic activity of the (F20TPP)Fe+ cation can be achieved in aprotic solvent by displacing the tightly bound chloride anion with a weakly bound triflate anion. By working in an aprotic solvent, acetonitrile, it was possible to determine the rate of heterolytic O-O bond cleavage in coordinated H2O2 unaffected by the interaction of the peroxide with methanol. A mechanism is proposed for this system and is shown to be valid over a range of reaction conditions. The mechanisms for cyclooctene epoxidation and H2O2 decomposition for the aprotic and protic solvent systems are similar with the only difference being the mechanism of proton-transfer prior to heterolytic cleavage of the oxygen-oxygen bond of coordinated hydrogen peroxide. Comparison of the rate parameters indicates that the utilization of hydrogen peroxide for cyclooctene epoxidation is higher in a protic solvent than in an aprotic solvent and results in a smaller extent of porphyrin degradation due to free radical attack. It was also shown that water can coordinate to the iron porphyrin cation in aprotic systems resulting in catalyst deactivation; this effect was not observed when methanol was present, since methanol was found to displace all of the coordinated water.     

Influence of solvent composition on the kinetics of cyclooctene epoxidation by hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by iron(III) [tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)] porphyrin chloride [(F20TPP)FeCl

The epoxidation of cyclooctene catalyzed by iron(III) [tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)] porphyrin chloride [(F20TPP)FeCl] was investigated in alcohol/acetonitrile solutions in order to determine the effects of the alcohol composition on the reaction kinetics. It was observed that alcohol composition affects both the observed rate of hydrogen peroxide consumption (the limiting reagent) and the selectivity of hydrogen peroxide utilization to form cyclooctene epoxide. The catalytically active species are formed only in alcohol-containing solvents as a consequence of (F(20)TPP)FeCl dissociation into [(F20TPP)Fe(ROH)]+ cations and Cl- anions. The observed reaction kinetics are analyzed in terms of a proposed mechanism for the epoxidation of the olefin and the decomposition of H2O2. The first step in this scheme is the reversible coordination of H2O2 to [(F20TPP)Fe(ROH)]+. The O-O bond of the coordinated H2O2 then undergoes either homolytic or heterolytic cleavage. The rate of homolytic cleavage is found to be independent of alcohol composition, whereas the rate of heterolytic cleavage increases with alcohol acidity. Heterolytic cleavage is envisioned to form iron(IV) pi-radical cations, whereas homolytic cleavage forms iron(IV) hydroxo cations. The iron(IV) radical cations are active for olefin epoxidation, whereas the iron(IV) cations catalyze the decomposition of H2O2. Reaction of iron(IV) pi-radical cations with H2O2 to form iron(IV) hydroxo cations is also included in the mechanism, a process that is favored by alcohols with a high charge density on the O atoms. The proposed mechanism describes successfully the effects of H2O2, cyclooctene, and porphyrin concentrations, as well as the effects of alcohol concentration.     

Cooperative pull and push effects on the O-O bond cleavage in acylperoxo complexes of [(Salen)MnIIIL]: ensuring formation of manganese(V) oxo species

The acidity (pull) and the axial ligand (push) effects on the O-O bond cleavage in the [(Salen)Mn(III)(RCO(3))L] acylperoxo complexes, with model L = none, NH(3), and HCO(2)(-) (1), have been studied with B3LYP density functional calculations. The acidic conditions have been mimicked by explicit protonation of 1 to afford a variety of [(Salen)Mn(III)(RCO(3)H)L] (2) and [(SalenH)Mn(III)(RCO(3))L] (3) complexes in ground quintet states. The protonation assists the O-O bond heterolysis, thus primarily forming highly reactive Mn(V)(O) species, and consequently suppresses formation of the less reactive Mn(IV)(O) species through homolytic channel described earlier in 1 [Khavrutskii, I. V.; Rahim, R. R.; Musaev, D. G.; Morokuma, K. J. Phys. Chem. B 2004, 108, 3845-3854]. In addition to the qualitative change of the O-O bond cleavage mode, the protonation affects the rate of the O-O bond cleavage. Therefore, varying the acidity of the reaction media helps control the O-O bond cleavage mode and rate.     

Multiple active intermediates in oxidation reaction catalyzed by synthetic heme-thiolate complex relevant to cytochrome p450

We have studied oxidation reactions using a synthetic heme-thiolate (SR complex) in order to ascertain the contributions of multiple intermediates derived from heme-thiolate to the oxygen atom transfer reaction to substrate. First, degradation of peroxyphenylacetic acid (PPAA) was examined in the presence of various substrates. The O-O bond cleavage mode of PPAA was clearly dependent on the reactivity of the substrate, and an easily oxidizable substrate enhanced heterolytic O-O bond cleavage. Second, competitive oxidations of cyclooctane and cyclooctene were carried out with various peroxybenzoic acids containing a series of substituents at the para-position as an oxygen source. The ratios of alkane hydroxylation rate/alkene epoxidation rate were dependent on the nature of the para-substituent of the oxidant. We conclude that substrate and oxidant interact with each other during the oxygen atom transfer reaction, that is, oxidation reaction occurs before O-O bond cleavage, even in the reaction catalyzed by heme-thiolate, which is considered to promote O-O bond cleavage. The results of an (18)O-incorporation study that is frequently performed to determine the active intermediates derived from iron porphyrins were consistent with this conclusion.     

Axial ligand and spin-state influence on the formation and reactivity of hydroperoxo-iron(III) porphyrin complexes

The present study focuses on the formation and reactivity of hydroperoxo-iron(III) porphyrin complexes formed in the [Fe(III)(tpfpp)X]/H(2)O(2)/HOO(-) system (TPFPP=5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)-21H,23H-porphyrin; X=Cl(-) or CF(3) SO(3)(-)) in acetonitrile under basic conditions at -15 °C. Depending on the selected reaction conditions and the active form of the catalyst, the formation of high-spin [Fe(III)(tpfpp)(OOH)] and low-spin [Fe(III)(tpfpp)(OH)(OOH)] could be observed with the application of a low-temperature rapid-scan UV/Vis spectroscopic technique. Axial ligation and the spin state of the iron(III) center control the mode of O-O bond cleavage in the corresponding hydroperoxo porphyrin species. A mechanistic changeover from homo- to heterolytic O-O bond cleavage is observed for high- [Fe(III)(tpfpp)(OOH)] and low-spin [Fe(III)(tpfpp)(OH)(OOH)] complexes, respectively. In contrast to other iron(III) hydroperoxo complexes with electron-rich porphyrin ligands, electron-deficient [Fe(III)(tpfpp)(OH)(OOH)] was stable under relatively mild conditions and could therefore be investigated directly in the oxygenation reactions of selected organic substrates. The very low reactivity of [Fe(III)(tpfpp)(OH)(OOH)] towards organic substrates implied that the ferric hydroperoxo intermediate must be a very sluggish oxidant compared with the iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin π-cation radical intermediate in the catalytic oxygenation reactions of cytochrome P450.     

Kinetics and mechanism of O-O bond cleavage in the reaction of [RuIII(edta)(H2O)]- with hydroperoxides in aqueous solution

The reactions of [Ru(III)(edta)(H(2)O)](-) (1) (edta = ethylenediaminetetraacetate) with tert-butylhydroperoxide ((t)BuOOH) and potassium hydrogenpersulfate (KHSO(5)) were studied kinetically as a function of oxidant concentration and temperature (10-30 degrees C) at a fixed pH of 6.1 using stopped-flow techniques. Kinetic results were analyzed by using global kinetic analysis techniques. The reaction was found to consist of two steps involving the rapid formation of a [Ru(III)(edta)(OOR)](2-) intermediate, which subsequently undergoes heterolytic cleavage to form [(edta)Ru(V)=O](-). Since [(edta)Ru(V)=O](-) was produced almost quantitatively in the reaction of 1 with the hydroperoxides (t)BuOOH and KHSO(5), the common mechanism is one of heterolytic scission of the O-O bond. The water soluble and easy to oxidize substrate 2,2'-azobis(3-ethylbenzithiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS), was employed to substantiate the mechanistic proposal. Reactions were carried out under pseudo-first order conditions for [ABTS] > [hydroperoxide] > [1], and were monitored as a function of time for the formation of the one-electron oxidation product ABTS (*+). The detailed suggested mechanism is consistent with the reported rate and activation parameters, and discussed in reference to the results reported for the reaction of [Ru(II)(edta)(H(2)O)](-) with H(2)O(2).     

Mechanism of bleomycin suicide: a Car-Parrinello molecular dynamics investigation

Using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations (Car-Parrinello method) we investigated the possible reaction pathways for decay of the active bleomycin-Fe(III)-OOH complex, so-called bleomycin suicide. The theoretical model of activated bleomycin contains the whole metal bonding domain of the bleomycin ligand. Simulations performed both in a vacuum and in water show that a facile decaying process involves a homolytic O-O bond cleavage with an almost simultaneous hydrogen atom abstraction. The formation of an intra- or intermolecular hydrogen bond appears to be crucial for the decay of the activated bleomycin. We did not observe any evidence of heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond of the Fe(III)-OOH species.     

Proton-shuffle mechanism of O-O activation for formation of a high-valent oxo-iron species of bleomycin

Bleomycins (BLMs) can utilize H2O2 to cleave DNA in the presence of ferric ions. DFT calculations were used to study the mechanism of O-O bond cleavage in the low-spin FeIII-hydroperoxo complex of BLM. The following alternative hypotheses were investigated using realistic structural models: (a) heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond, generating a Compound I (Cpd I) like intermediate, formally BLM-FeV=O; (b) homolytic O-O cleavage, leading to a BLM-FeIV=O species and an OH* radical; and (c) a direct O-O cleavage/H-abstraction mechanism by ABLM. The calculations showed that (a) is a facile and viable mechanism; it involves acid-base proton reshuffle mediated by the side-chain linkers of BLM, causing thereby heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond and generation of Cpd I. Formation of Cpd I is found to involve a barrier of 13.3 kcal/mol, which is lower than the barriers in the alternative mechanisms (b and c) that possess respective barriers of 31 and 17 kcal/mol. The so-formed Cpd I species with a radical on the side-chain linker, methylvalerate (V), adjacent to the BLM-FeIV=O complex, resembles the formation of the active species of cytochrome c peroxidase in the Poulos-Kraut proton-shuffle mechanism in heme peroxidases (Poulos, T. L.; Kraut, J. J. Biol. Chem. 1980, 255, 8199-8205). Experimental data are discussed and shown to be in accord with this proposal. It suggests that the high-valence Cpd I species of BLM participates in the DNA cleavage. This is an alternative mechanistic hypothesis to the exclusive reactivity scenario based on ABLM (FeIII-OOH).     

Chemoselective alkane oxidation by superoxo-vanadium(V) in vanadosilicate molecular sieves

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of reactive superoxo-vanadium(V) species in vanadosilicate molecular sieves (microporous VS-1 and mesoporous V-MCM-41) generated on contact with H2O2, tert-butyl hydroperoxide (TBHP), or (H2+O2) is reported for the first time. By suitable choice of the silicate structure, solvent, and oxidant, we could control the vanadium-(O2-*) bond (i.e., the V-O bond) covalency, the mode of O-O cleavage (in the superoxo species), and, therefore, chemoselectivity in the oxidation of n-hexane: Oxidation by TBHP over V-MCM-41, for example, yielded 27.2% of (n-hexanol+n-hexanal+n-hexanoic acid), among the highest chemoselectivities for oxidation of the terminal -CH3 in a linear paraffin reported to date. Over these vanadosilicates, oxidation of the primary C-H bond occurs only via a homolytic O-O bond cleavage; the secondary C-H bond oxidations may proceed via both the homo- and heterolytic O-O cleavage mechanisms.     

Electronic structure of high-spin iron(III)-alkylperoxo complexes and its relation to low-spin analogues: reaction coordinate of O-O bond homolysis.

The spectroscopic properties of the high-spin Fe(III)-alkylperoxo model complex [Fe(6-Me(3)TPA)(OH(x))(OO(t)Bu)](x)(+) (1; TPA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, (t)Bu = tert-butyl, x = 1 or 2) are defined and related to density functional calculations of corresponding models in order to determine the electronic structure and reactivity of this system. The Raman spectra of 1 show four peaks at 876, 842, 637, and 469 cm(-1) that are assigned with the help of normal coordinate analysis, and corresponding force constants have been determined to be 3.55 mdyn/A for the O-O and 2.87 mdyn/A for the Fe-O bond. Complex 1 has a broad absorption feature around 560 nm that is assigned to a charge-transfer (CT) transition from the alkylperoxo to a t(2g) d orbital of Fe(III) with the help of resonance Raman profiles and MCD spectroscopy. An additional contribution to the Fe-O bond arises from a sigma interaction between and an e(g) d orbital of iron. The electronic structure of 1 is compared to the related low-spin model complex [Fe(TPA)(OH(x))(OO(t)Bu)](x)(+) and the reaction coordinate for O-O homolysis is explored for both the low-spin and the high-spin Fe(III)-alkylperoxo systems. Importantly, there is a barrier for homolytic cleavage of the O-O bond on the high-spin potential energy surface that is not present for the low-spin complex, which is therefore nicely set up for O-O homolysis. This is reflected by the electronic structure of the low-spin complex having a strong Fe-O and a weak O-O bond due to a strong Fe-O sigma interaction. In addition, the reaction coordinate of the Fe-O homolysis has been investigated, which is a possible decay pathway for the high-spin system, but which is thermodynamically unfavorable for the low-spin complex.     

Spectroscopic and kinetic studies of perturbed trinuclear copper clusters: the role of protons in reductive cleavage of the O-O bond in the multicopper oxidase Fet3p

The multicopper oxidase Fet3p couples four 1e(-) oxidations of substrate to the 4e(-) reduction of O2 to H2O. Fet3p uses four Cu atoms to accomplish this reaction: the type 1, type 2, and coupled binuclear type 3 sites. The type 2 and type 3 sites together form a trinuclear Cu cluster (TNC) which is the site of O2 reduction. This study focuses on mutants of two residues, E487 and D94, which lie in the second coordination sphere of the TNC and defines the role that each plays in the structural integrity of the TNC, its reactivity with O2, and in the directional movement of protons during reductive cleavage of the O-O bond. The E487D, E487A, and D94E mutants have been studied in the holo and type 1 depleted (T1D) forms. Residue E487, located near the T3 center, is found to be responsible for donation of a proton during the reductive cleavage of the O-O bond in the peroxide intermediate and an inverse kinetic solvent isotope effect, which indicates that this proton is already transferred when the O-O bond is cleaved. Residue D94, near the T2 site, plays a key role in the reaction of the reduced TNC with O2 and drives electron transfer from the T2 Cu to cleave the O-O bond by deprotonating the T2 Cu water ligand. A mechanism is developed where these second sphere residues participate in the proton assisted reductive cleavage of the O-O bond at the TNC.     

Electronic structure and reactivity of high-spin iron--alkyl- and--pterinperoxo complexes

The spectroscopic properties and electronic structure of the four-coordinate high-spin [FeIII(L3)(OOtBu)]+ complex (1; L3 = hydrotris(3-tert-butyl-5-isopropyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate; tBu = tert-butyl) are investigated and compared to the six-coordinated high-spin [Fe(6-Me3TPA)(OHx)(OOtBu)]x+ system (TPA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine, x = 1 or 2) studied earlier [Lehnert, N.; Ho, R. Y. N.; Que, L., Jr.; Solomon, E. I. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2001, 123, 12802-12816]. Complex 1 is characterized by Raman features at 889 and 830 cm-1 which are assigned to the O-O stretch (mixed with the symmetric C-C stretch) and a band at 625 cm-1 that corresponds to nu(Fe-O). The UV-vis spectrum shows a charge-transfer (CT) transition at 510 nm from the alkylperoxo pi v* (v = vertical to C-O-O plane) to a d orbital of Fe(III). A second CT is identified from MCD at 370 nm that is assigned to a transition from pi h* (h = horizontal to C-O-O plane) to an Fe(III) d orbital. For the TPA complex the pi v* CT is at 560 nm while the pi h* CT is to higher energy than 250 nm. These spectroscopic differences between four- and six-coordinate Fe(III)-OOR complexes are interpreted on the basis of their different ligand fields. In addition, the electronic structure of Fe-OOPtn complexes with the biologically relevant pterinperoxo ligand are investigated. Substitution of the tert-butyl group in 1 by pterin leads to the corresponding Fe(III)-OOPtn species (2), which shows a stronger electron donation from the peroxide to Fe(III) than 1. This is related to the lower ionization potential of pterin. Reduction of 2 by one electron leads to the Fe(II)-OOPtn complex (3), which is relevant as a model for potential intermediates in pterin-dependent hydroxylases. However, in the four-coordinate ligand field of 3, the additional electron is located in a nonbonding d orbital of iron. Hence, the pterinperoxo ligand is not activated for heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond in this system. This is also evident from the calculated reaction energies that are endothermic by at least 20 kcal/mol.