Mechanism of selective oxidation of organic sulfides with Oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes

The selective oxidation of organic sulfides to sulfoxides by oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes in acetonitrile is overall second-order, first-order each in the oxidant and the substrate. The rate constant, k(2), values of several para-substituted phenyl methyl sulfides correlate linearly with Hammett sigma constants and the rho values are in the range of -1.3 to -2.7 with different substituted oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes. The reactivity of different alkyl sulfides is in accordance with Taft's steric substituent constant, E(S). A mechanism involving direct oxygen atom transfer from the oxidant to the substrate rather than electron transfer is envisaged. Correlation analyses show the presence of an inverse relationship between reactivity and selectivity in the reaction of various sulfides with a given oxo(salen)chromium(V) complex and vice versa. Mathematical treatment of the results shows that this redox system falls under strong reactivity-selectivity principle (RSP).     

Iron(III) [bond] Salen complexes as enzyme models: mechanistic study of oxo(salen)iron complexes oxygenation of organic sulfides

The oxidation of a series of para-substituted phenyl methyl sulfides was carried out with several oxo(salen)iron (salen = N,N'-bis(salicylidine)ethylenediaminato) complexes in acetonitrile. The oxo complex [O=Fe(IV)(salen)](*+), generated from an iron(III) [bond] salen complex and iodosylbenzene, effectively oxidizes the organic sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides. The formation of [O [double bond] Fe(IV)(salen)](*+) as the active oxidant is supported by resonance Raman studies. The kinetic data indicate that the reaction is first-order in the oxidant and fractional-order with respect to sulfide. The observed saturation kinetics of the reaction and spectral data indicate that the substrate binds to the oxidant before the rate-controlling step. The rate constant (k) values for the product formation step determined using Michaelis-Menten kinetics correlate well with Hammett sigma constants, giving reaction constant (rho) values in the range of -0.65 to -1.54 for different oxo(salen)iron complexes. The log k values observed in the oxidation of each aryl methyl sulfide by substituted oxo(salen)iron complexes also correlate with Hammett sigma constants, giving positive rho values. The substituent effect, UV-vis absorption, and EPR spectral studies indicate oxygen atom transfer from the oxidant to the substrate in the rate-determining step.     

Effect of added donor ligands on the selective oxygenation of organic sulfides by oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes

Oxo(salen)chromium(V) complexes, [(salen)Cr^VO]⁺, oxidize organic sulfides selectively to sulfoxides in high yield. This oxygenation reaction is catalyzed by ligand oxides (LO's), pyridine N-oxide, 4-picoline N-oxide, 4-phenyl pyridine N-oxide and triphenylphosphine oxide. The rate is accelerated by 10-20 times with an increase in yield of sulfoxide in less reaction time. This catalytic activity is highly sensitive to the nature of the substituent in the phenyl ring of ArSMe and in the 3- and 5-position of the salen ligand. The reaction constant (ρ) value obtained with the ligand oxide catalyzed reaction is low compared to the value in the absence of LO. The strong binding and catalytic activity of ligand oxides on the oxo(salen)chromium(V) ion oxygenation is explained in terms of binding constants and a mechanism involving the electrophilic attack of [(salen)Cr^VO]⁺-LO adduct on the sulfur centre of phenyl methyl sulfide.     

Mechanism of (Salen)manganese(III)‐Catalyzed Oxidation of Aryl Phenyl Sulfides with Sodium Hypochlorite

The oxidation of 4‐substituted phenyl phenyl sulfides was carried out with several oxo(salen)manganese(V) complexes in MeCN/H₂O 9 : 1. The kinetic data show that the reaction is first‐order each in the oxidant and sulfide. Electron‐attracting substituents in the sulfides and electron‐releasing substituents in salen of the oxo(salen)manganese(V) complexes reduce the rate of oxidation. A Hammett analysis of the rate constants for the oxidation of 4‐substituted phenyl phenyl sulfides gives a negative ρ value (ρ=?2.16) indicating an electron‐deficient transition state. The log k₂ values observed in the oxidation of each 4‐substituted phenyl phenyl sulfide by substituted oxo(salen)manganese(V) complexes also correlate with Hammett σ constants, giving a positive ρ value. The substituent‐, acid‐, and solvent‐effect studies indicate direct O‐atom transfer from the oxidant to the substrate in the rate‐determining step.     

Electron transfer reaction of oxo(salen)chromium(V) ion with anilines

The kinetics of oxidation of 16 meta-, ortho-, and para-substituted anilines with nine oxo(salen)chromium(V) ions have been studied by spectrophotometric, ESIMS, and EPR techniques. During the course of the reaction, two new peaks with lambda(max) at 470 and 730 nm appear in the absorption spectrum, and these peaks are due to the formation of emeraldine forms of oligomers of aniline supported by the ESIMS peaks with m/z values 274 and 365 (for the trimer and tetramer of aniline). The rate of the reaction is highly sensitive to the change of substituents in the aryl moiety of aniline and in the salen ligand of chromium(V) complexes. Application of the Hammett equation to analyze kinetic data yields a rho value of -3.8 for the substituent variation in aniline and +2.2 for the substituent variation in the salen ligand of the metal complex. On the basis of the spectral, kinetic, and product analysis studies, a mechanism involving an electron transfer from the nitrogen of aniline to the metal complex in the rate controlling step has been proposed. The Marcus equation has been successfully applied to this system, and the calculated values are compliant with the measured values.     

Iron-catalyzed oxidation of thioethers by iodosylarenes: stereoselectivity and reaction mechanism

Catalytic properties of a series of iron(III)-salen (salen=N,N'-bis(salicylidene)ethylenediamine dianion) and related complexes in asymmetric sulfoxidation reactions, with iodosylarenes as terminal oxidants, have been explored. These catalysts have been found to efficiently catalyze oxidation of alkyl aryl sulfides to sulfoxides with high chemoselectivity (up to 100 %) and moderate-to-high enantioselectivity (up to 84 % with isopropylthiobenzene and iodosylmesitylene), the TON (TON=turnover number) approaching 500. The influence of the ligand (electronic and steric effects of the substituents), oxidant, and substrate structures on the oxidation stereoselectivity has been investigated systematically. The structure of the reactive intermediates (complexes of the type [Fe(III)(ArIO)(salen)] and the reaction mechanism have been revealed by both mechanistic studies with different iodosylarenes and direct in situ (1)H NMR observation of the formation of the reactive species and its reaction with the substrate.     

Cr(III)(salen)Cl catalyzed asymmetric epoxidations: insight into the catalytic cycle

Intermediates of chromium-salen catalyzed alkene epoxidations were studied in situ by EPR, (1)H and (2)H NMR, and UV-vis/NIR spectroscopy (where chromium-salens were (S,S)-(+)-N,N'-bis(3,5-di-tert-butylsalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamino chromium(III) chloride (1) and racemic N,N'-bis(3,4,5,6-tetra-deuterosalicylidene)-1,2-cyclohexanediamino chromium(III) chloride (2)). High-valence chromium complexes, intermediates of epoxidation reactions, were detected and characterized by EPR and NMR. They are the reactive mononuclear oxochromium(V) intermediate (A) Cr(V)O(salen)L (where L = Cl(-) or a solvent molecule) and an inactive chromium-salen binuclear complex (B) which acts as a reservoir of the active species. The latter complex demonstrates an EPR signal characteristic of oxochromium(V)-salen species and (1)H NMR spectra typical for chromium(III)-salen complexes, and it is identified as mixed-valence binuclear L(1)(salen)Cr(III)OCr(V)(salen)L(2) (L(1), L(2) = Cl(-) or solvent molecules). The intermediates Cr(V)O(salen)L and L(1)(salen)Cr(III)OCr(V)(salen)L(2) exist in equilibrium, and their ratio can be affected by addition of donor ligands (DMSO, DMF, H(2)O, pyridine). Addition of donor additives increases the fraction of A over that of B. The same two complexes can be obtained with m-CPBA as oxidant. Reactivities of the Cr(V)O(salen)L complexes toward E-beta-methylstyrene were measured in DMF. The L(1)(salen)Cr(III)OCr(V)(salen)L(2) intermediate has been proposed to be a reservoir of the true reactive chromium(V) species. The chromium-salen catalysts demonstrate low turnover numbers (ca. 5), probably due to ligand degradation processes.     

A chromium(III)-superoxo complex in oxygen atom transfer reactions as a chemical model of cysteine dioxygenase

Metal-superoxo species are believed to play key roles in oxygenation reactions by metalloenzymes. One example is cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) that catalyzes the oxidation of cysteine with O(2), and an iron(III)-superoxo species is proposed as an intermediate that effects the sulfoxidation reaction. We now report the first biomimetic example showing that a chromium(III)-superoxo complex bearing a macrocyclic TMC ligand, [Cr(III)(O(2))(TMC)(Cl)](+), is an active oxidant in oxygen atom transfer (OAT) reactions, such as the oxidation of phosphine and sulfides. The electrophilic character of the Cr(III)-superoxo complex is demonstrated unambiguously in the sulfoxidation of para-substituted thioanisoles. A Cr(IV)-oxo complex, [Cr(IV)(O)(TMC)(Cl)](+), formed in the OAT reactions by the chromium(III)-superoxo complex, is characterized by X-ray crystallography and various spectroscopic methods. The present results support the proposed oxidant and mechanism in CDO, such as an iron(III)-superoxo species is an active oxidant that attacks the sulfur atom of the cysteine ligand by the terminal oxygen atom of the superoxo group, followed by the formation of a sulfoxide and an iron(IV)-oxo species via an O-O bond cleavage.     

Reduction of permanganate by thioanisole: lewis acid catalysis

The oxidation of sulfides and sulfoxides by permanganate in anhydrous acetone solutions is catalyzed by Lewis acids such as iron(III) chloride, zinc chloride, and mercury(II) chloride. The reaction kinetics unequivocally confirm that the function of these catalysts is to activate the oxidant by forming permanganate/Lewis acid complexes analogous to the protonation of Mn by Bronsted acids. A Hammett analysis of the rate constants for the oxidation of a series of substituted thioanisoles gives a negative rho value (-1. 11) indicative of an electron deficient transition state. No secondary kinetic isotope effect is observed when the hydrogens of the methyl group are replaced by deuterium. Despite previous observations that sulfoxides are preferentially oxidized in competitive experiments, sulfides are oxidized more rapidly when individual rates are measured. All of these observations are most consistent with a mechanism in which the reductant reacts with the oxidant via initial ligation.     

Asymmetric oxidation of sulfides catalyzed by chiral (salen)Mn(III) complexes with a pyrrolidine backbone

Catalytic properties of a series of chiral (pyrrolidine salen)Mn(III) complexes for asymmetric oxidation of aryl methyl sulfides were evaluated. Moderate activity, good chemical selectivity and low enantioselectivity were attained with iodosylbenzene as a terminal oxidant. Enantioselectivity of sulfide oxidation was affected slightly by polar solvent and the sulfoxidation carried out in THF for thioanisole and in CH₃CO₂Et for electron‐deficient sulfides gave better enatioselctivities. The addition of the donor ligand PPNO (4‐phenylpyridine N‐oxide) or MNO (trimethylamine N‐oxide) only has a minor positive effect on the enantioselectivity. Also explored was the steric effect of the N_aza‐substituent in the backbone of (pyrrolidine salen)Mn(III) complexes on the enantioselectivity of sulfide oxidation. The sulfides' access pathway is discussed based on the catalytic results. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Stabilization of high-valent metals by corroles: oxo[tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrolato]chromium(V)

The aerobic reaction of Cr(CO)6 with tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole (H3(TpFPC)) in toluene gives the dark red oxochromium(V) compound (TpFPC)Cr(O), which has been characterized by X-ray crystallography, electrochemistry, and EPR spectroscopy. Short Cr-N (1.927-1.943 A) bonds as well as relatively large 14N and small 53Cr coupling constants suggest that sigma (N-->Cr) donation is responsible for the unusual stability of chromium(V) in this complex. The CrV/IV reduction potential (0.11 V vs Ag/AgCl) is 0.65 V below that of oxo(tetramesitylporphinato)chromium(V).     

Oxygen atom transfer reactions from isolated (oxo)manganese(V) corroles to sulfides

A series of five free-base corroles were metalated and brominated to form 10 manganese(III) corroles. Two of the free-base corroles and six manganese(III) corroles were analyzed by X-ray crystallography, including one complex that may be considered a transition-state analogue of oxygen atom transfer (OAT) from (oxo)manganese(V) to thioansisole. Oxidation by ozone allowed for isolation of the 10 corresponding (oxo)manganese(V) corroles, whose characterization by (1)H and (19)F NMR spectroscopy and electrochemistry revealed a low-spin and triply bound manganese-oxygen moiety. Mechanistic insight was obtained by investigating their reactivity regarding stoichiometric OAT to a series of p-thioanisoles, revealing a magnitude difference on the order of 5 between the β-pyrrole brominated (oxo)manganese(V) corroles relative to the nonbrominated analogues. The main conclusion is that the (oxo)manganese(V) corroles are legitimate OAT agents under conditions where proposed oxidant-coordinated reaction intermediates are irrelevant. Large negative Hammett ρ constants are obtained for the more reactive (oxo)manganese(V) corroles, consistent with expectation for such electrophilic species. The least reactive complexes display very little selectivity to the electron-richness of the sulfides, as well as a non-first-order dependence on the concentration of (oxo)manganese(V) corrole. This suggests that disproportionation of the original (oxo)manganese(V) corrole to (oxo)manganese(IV) and (oxo)manganese(VI) corroles, followed by substrate oxidation by the latter complex, gains importance when the direct OAT process becomes progressively less favorable.     

Oxidation of organic sulfides by vanadium haloperoxidase model complexes

In addition to halide oxidation, the vanadium haloperoxidases are capable of oxidizing sulfides to sulfoxides. Four vanadium complexes with tripodal amine ligands, K[VO(O(2))(heida)] (1), VO(2)(bpg) (2), K[VO(2)(ada)] (3), and K(2)[VO(O(2))(nta)] (4), previously shown to perform bromide oxidation (Colpas, G. J.; Hamstra, B. J.; Kampf, J. W.; Pecoraro, V. L. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1996, 118, 3469-3477), have now been shown to oxidize aryl alkyl sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides. The oxidation was observed by the disappearance of thioanisole's ultraviolet absorption at 290 nm, by the change in the aromatic region of the (1)H NMR spectrum of the sulfides, and by changes in the complexes' (51)V NMR spectra. The amount of methyl phenyl sulfide oxidized in 3 h was 1000 equiv (per metal complex). The oxidation product is almost exclusively sulfoxide, with very little sulfone (less than 3% over a 3 h experiment) formed. This is consistent with an electrophilic oxidation mechanism, as had been proposed for oxidation of bromide by 1-4. The rate was found to be first order in substrate concentration, similar to the rate law observed for bromide oxidation. Unlike the bromide oxidation, the equivalent of acid required for peroxovanadium complex activation is not consumed. The complexes 1-4 are not reactive with styrene or cyclooctene. The relevance of these reactions to the mechanism of the vanadium haloperoxidases and, more generally, peroxovanadium oxygenation of sulfides will be discussed.     

Schiff base complexes of vanadium(III, IV, V) as catalysts for the electroreduction of O2 to H2O in acetonitrile

Fifteen Schiff base ligands were synthesized and used to form complexes with vanadium in oxidation states III, IV, and V. Electrochemical and spectral characteristics of the complexes were evaluated and compared. In acidified solutions in acetonitrile the vanadium(IV) complexes undergo reversible disproportionation to form V(III) and V(V) complexes. With several of the ligands the V(III) complexes are much more stable in the presence of acid than is the previously studied complex with salen, an unelaborated Schiff base ligand (H(2) salen = N,N'-ethylenebis(salicylideneamine)). Equilibrium constants for the disproportionation were evaluated. The vanadium(III) complexes reduce dioxygen to form two oxo ligands. The reaction is stoichiometric in the absence of acid, and second-order rate constants were evaluated. In the presence of acid some of the complexes investigated participate in a catalytic electroreduction of dioxygen.     

Olefin cis‐Dihydroxylation and Aliphatic CH Bond Oxygenation by a Dioxygen‐Derived Electrophilic Iron–Oxygen Oxidant

Many iron‐containing enzymes involve metal–oxygen oxidants to carry out O₂‐dependent transformation reactions. However, the selective oxidation of C? H and C?C bonds by biomimetic complexes using O₂ remains a major challenge in bioinspired catalysis. The reactivity of iron–oxygen oxidants generated from an Fe^II–benzilate complex of a facial N₃ ligand were thus investigated. The complex reacted with O₂ to form a nucleophilic oxidant, whereas an electrophilic oxidant, intercepted by external substrates, was generated in the presence of a Lewis acid. Based on the mechanistic studies, a nucleophilic Fe^II–hydroperoxo species is proposed to form from the benzilate complex, which undergoes heterolytic O? O bond cleavage in the presence of a Lewis acid to generate an Fe^IV–oxo–hydroxo oxidant. The electrophilic iron–oxygen oxidant selectively oxidizes sulfides to sulfoxides, alkenes to cis‐diols, and it hydroxylates the C? H bonds of alkanes, including that of cyclohexane.     

Olefin cis‐Dihydroxylation and Aliphatic C?H Bond Oxygenation by a Dioxygen‐Derived Electrophilic Iron–Oxygen Oxidant

Many iron‐containing enzymes involve metal–oxygen oxidants to carry out O₂‐dependent transformation reactions. However, the selective oxidation of C H and CC bonds by biomimetic complexes using O₂ remains a major challenge in bioinspired catalysis. The reactivity of iron–oxygen oxidants generated from an Fe^II–benzilate complex of a facial N₃ ligand were thus investigated. The complex reacted with O₂ to form a nucleophilic oxidant, whereas an electrophilic oxidant, intercepted by external substrates, was generated in the presence of a Lewis acid. Based on the mechanistic studies, a nucleophilic Fe^II–hydroperoxo species is proposed to form from the benzilate complex, which undergoes heterolytic O O bond cleavage in the presence of a Lewis acid to generate an Fe^IV–oxo–hydroxo oxidant. The electrophilic iron–oxygen oxidant selectively oxidizes sulfides to sulfoxides, alkenes to cis‐diols, and it hydroxylates the C H bonds of alkanes, including that of cyclohexane.     

On the reactivity of mononuclear iron(V)oxo complexes

Ferric tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (TAML)-based catalysts [Fe{C(6)H(4)-1,2-(NCOCMe(2)NCO)(2)CR(2)}(OH(2))]PPh(4) [1; R = Me (a), Et (b)] are oxidized by m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid at -40 °C in acetonitrile containing trace water in two steps to form Fe(V)oxo complexes (2a,b). These uniquely authenticated Fe(V)(O) species comproportionate with the Fe(III) starting materials 1a,b to give μ-oxo-(Fe(IV))(2) dimers. The comproportionation of 1a-2a is faster and that of 1b-2b is slower than the oxidation by 2a,b of sulfides (p-XC(6)H(4)SMe) to sulfoxides, highlighting a remarkable steric control of the dynamics. Sulfide oxidation follows saturation kinetics in [p-XC(6)H(4)SMe] with electron-rich substrates (X = Me, H), but changes to linear kinetics with electron-poor substrates (X = Cl, CN) as the sulfide affinity for iron decreases. As the sulfide becomes less basic, the Fe(IV)/Fe(III) ratio at the end of reaction for 2b suggests a decreasing contribution of concerted oxygen-atom transfer (Fe(V) → Fe(III)) concomitant with increasing electron transfer oxidation (Fe(V) → Fe(IV)). Fe(V) is more reactive toward PhSMe than Fe(IV) by 4 orders of magnitude, a gap even larger than that known for peroxidase Compounds I and II. The findings reinforce prior work typecasting TAML activators as faithful peroxidase mimics.     

Chemo- and diastereoselectivity in the dimethyldioxirane oxidation of 2,3-dihydro-4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-ones and 4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-ones. Unusual reactivity of 4H-1-benzothiopyran-4-one 1-oxides

The oxidation of the 1-thiochromanones 1-3 by dimethyldioxirane (DMD) produced the corresponding sulfoxides 4-6 or sulfones 7-9; their relative amounts depended on the amount of oxidant used. A low diastereoselectivity was observed in the sulfoxidation of the 2-substituted 1-thiochromanones 2 and 3, due to the small steric differentiation during the DMD attack. An unusual reactivity pattern was found in the DMD oxidation of the 1-thiochromones 10-12, in that the sulfoxides 13-15 were more reactive toward the electrophilic oxidizing agent than the corresponding sulfides. The observed anomaly may be explained in terms of transannular stabilization of the transition structure (TS) for the sulfone formation, promoted through favorable conformational effects in the sulfoxide. Higher sulfoxide/sulfone ratios were found in solvents of greater hydrogen bond donor capacity, which is in accordance with the postulated stabilizing effect.     

Reactivities of mononuclear non-heme iron intermediates including evidence that iron(III)-hydroperoxo species is a sluggish oxidant

There is an intriguing, current controversy on the involvement of iron(III)-hydroperoxo species as a "second electrophilic oxidant" in oxygenation reactions by heme and non-heme iron enzymes and their model compounds. In the present work, we have performed reactivity studies of the iron-hydroperoxo species in nucleophilic and electrophilic reactions, with in situ-generated mononuclear non-heme iron(III)-hydroperoxo complexes that have been well characterized with various spectroscopic techniques. The intermediates did not show any reactivities in the nucleophilic (e.g., aldehyde deformylation) and electrophilic (e.g., oxidation of sulfide and olefin) reactions. These results demonstrate that non-heme iron(III)-hydroperoxo species are sluggish oxidants and that the oxidizing power of the intermediates cannot compete with that of high-valent iron(IV)-oxo complexes. We have also reported reactivities of mononuclear non-heme iron(III)-peroxo and iron(IV)-oxo complexes in the aldehyde deformylation and the oxidation of sulfides, respectively.     

Biphasic oxidation of diaquadichloro(1,10-phenanthroline)chromium(III) by N-bromosuccinimide and the formation of chromium(IV) and chromium(V)

The kinetics of oxidation of diaquadichloro(1,10-phenanthroline)chromium(III) complex, [Cr^III(phen)(H₂O)₂Cl₂]⁺, by N-bromosuccinimide (NBS) is biphasic. The first faster step involves the oxidation of Cr(III) to Cr(IV). The second slower step is due to the oxidation of Cr(IV) to Cr(V). The reaction product is isolated and characterized by electron spin resonance (ESR), IR, and elemental analysis. The chromium(V) product is consistent with the formula [Cr^V(phen)Cl₂(O)]Br. The rate constants k_f and k_s, for the faster and the slower steps respectively, were obtained using an Origin 9.0 software program. Values of both k_f and k_s, varied linearly with [NBS] at constant reaction conditions. The effect of pH on the reaction rate is investigated over the pH (4.11–6.01) range at 25.0°C. The rate constants k_f and k_s increased with increasing pH. This is consistent with hydroxo forms of the chromium species being more reactive than the aqua forms. Chromium(III) complexes, more often than not, are inert. The oxidation of the Cr(III) complex to Cr(IV), most likely, proceeds by an outer sphere mechanism. Since chromium(IV) is labile the mechanism of its oxidation to chromium(V) is not certain.