Synthesis, Structure and Reactivity of a Mononuclear N,N,O-Bound Fe(II) α-Keto-Acid Complex.

A bulky, tridentate phenolate ligand (ImPh2 NNOtBu ) was used to synthesise the first example of a mononuclear, facial, N,N,O-bound iron(II) benzoylformate complex, [Fe(ImPh2 NNOtBu )(BF)] (2). The X-ray crystal structure of 2 reveals that the iron centre is pentacoordinate (τ=0.5), with a vacant site located cis to the bidentate BF ligand. The Mössbauer parameters of 2 are consistent with high-spin iron(II), and are very close to those reported for α-ketoglutarate-bound non-heme iron enzyme active sites. According to NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies, the structural integrity of 2 is retained in both coordinating and non-coordinating solvents. Cyclic voltammetry studies show that the iron centre has a very low oxidation potential and is more prone to electrochemical oxidation than the redox-active phenolate ligand. Complex 2 reacts with NO to form a S=3 /2 {FeNO}7 adduct in which NO binds directly to the iron centre, according to EPR, UV-vis, IR spectroscopies and DFT analysis. Upon O2 exposure, 2 undergoes oxidative decarboxylation to form a diiron(III) benzoate complex, [Fe2 (ImPh2 NNOtBu )2 (µ2 -OBz)(µ2 -OH)2 ]+ (3). A small amount of hydroxylated ligand was also observed by ESI-MS, hinting at the formation of a high-valent iron(IV)-oxo intermediate. Initial reactivity studies show that 2 is capable of oxygen atom transfer reactivity with O2 , converting methyl(p-tolyl)sulfide to sulfoxide.

On the Single-Molecule Magnetic Behavior of Linear Iron(I) Arylsilylamides.

The rational design of 3d-metal-based single-molecule magnets (SMM) requires a fundamental understanding of their intrinsic electronic and structural properties and how they translate into experimentally observable features. Here, we determined the magnetic properties of the linear iron(I) silylamides K{crypt}[FeL2] and [KFeL2] (L = -N(Dipp)SiMe3; crypt = 4,7,13,16,21,24-Hexaoxa-1,10-diazabicyclo[8.8.8]hexacosan). For the former, slow-relaxation of the magnetization with a spin reversal barrier of Ueff = 152 cm-1 as well as a closed-waist magnetic hysteresis and magnetic blocking below 2.5 K are observed. For the more linear [KFeL2], in which the potassium cation is encapsulated by the aryl substituents of the amide ligands, the relaxation barrier and the blocking temperature increase to Ueff = 184 cm-1 and TB = 4.5 K, respectively. The increase is rationalized by a more pronounced axial anisotropy in [KFeL2] determined by dc-SQUID magnetometry. The effective relaxation barrier of [KFeL2] is in agreement with the energy spacing between the ground and first-excited magnetic states, as obtained by field-dependent IR-spectroscopy (178 cm-1), magnetic measurements (208 cm-1), as well as theoretical analysis (212 cm-1). In comparison with the literature, the results show that magnetic coercivity in linear iron(I) silylamides is driven by the degree of linearity in conjunction with steric encumbrance, whereas the ligand symmetry is a marginal factor.

Reactivities and Electronic Structures of µ-1,2-Peroxo and µ-1,2-Superoxo CoIIICoIII Complexes: Electrophilic Reactivity and O2 Release Induced by Oxidation.

Peroxo complexes are key intermediates in water oxidation catalysis (WOC). Cobalt plays an important role in WOC, either as oxides CoOx or as {CoIII(µ-1,2-peroxo)CoIII} complexes, which are the oldest peroxo complexes known. The oxidation of {CoIII(µ-1,2-peroxo)CoIII} complexes had usually been described to form {CoIII(µ-1,2-superoxo)CoIII} complexes; however, recently the formation of {CoIV(µ-1,2-peroxo)CoIII} species were suggested. Using a bis(tetradentate) dinucleating ligand, we present here the synthesis and characterization of {CoIII(µ-1,2-peroxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} and {CoIII(µ-OH)2CoIII} complexes. Oxidation of {CoIII(µ-1,2-peroxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} at -40 °C in CH3CN provides the stable {CoIII(µ-1,2-superoxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} species and activates electrophilic reactivity. Moreover, {CoIII(µ-1,2-peroxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} catalyzes water oxidation, not molecularly but rather via CoOx films. While {CoIII(µ-1,2-peroxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} can be reversibly deprotonated with DBU at -40 °C in CH3CN, {CoIII(µ-1,2-superoxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} undergoes irreversible conversions upon reaction with bases to a new intermediate that is also the decay product of {CoIII(µ-1,2-superoxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} in aqueous solution at pH > 2. Based on a combination of experimental methods, the new intermediate is proposed to have a {CoII(µ-OH)CoIII} core formed by the release of O2 from {CoIII(µ-1,2-superoxo)(µ-OH)CoIII} confirmed by a 100% yield of O2 upon photocatalytic oxidation of {CoIII(µ-1,2-peroxo)(µ-OH)CoIII}. This release of O2 by oxidation of a peroxo intermediate corresponds to the last step in molecular WOC.

Mitochondrial [4Fe-4S] protein assembly involves reductive [2Fe-2S] cluster fusion on ISCA1-ISCA2 by electron flow from ferredoxin FDX2.

The essential process of iron-sulfur (Fe/S) cluster assembly (ISC) in mitochondria occurs in three major phases. First, [2Fe-2S] clusters are synthesized on the scaffold protein ISCU2; second, these clusters are transferred to the monothiol glutaredoxin GLRX5 by an Hsp70 system followed by insertion into [2Fe-2S] apoproteins; third, [4Fe-4S] clusters are formed involving the ISC proteins ISCA1-ISCA2-IBA57 followed by target-specific apoprotein insertion. The third phase is poorly characterized biochemically, because previous in vitro assembly reactions involved artificial reductants and lacked at least one of the in vivo-identified ISC components. Here, we reconstituted the maturation of mitochondrial [4Fe-4S] aconitase without artificial reductants and verified the [2Fe-2S]-containing GLRX5 as cluster donor. The process required all components known from in vivo studies (i.e., ISCA1-ISCA2-IBA57), yet surprisingly also depended on mitochondrial ferredoxin FDX2 and its NADPH-coupled reductase FDXR. Electrons from FDX2 catalyze the reductive [2Fe-2S] cluster fusion on ISCA1-ISCA2 in an IBA57-dependent fashion. This previously unidentified electron transfer was occluded during previous in vivo studies due to the earlier FDX2 requirement for [2Fe-2S] cluster synthesis on ISCU2. The FDX2 function is specific, because neither FDX1, a mitochondrial ferredoxin involved in steroid production, nor other cellular reducing systems, supported maturation. In contrast to ISC factor-assisted [4Fe-4S] protein assembly, [2Fe-2S] cluster transfer from GLRX5 to [2Fe-2S] apoproteins occurred spontaneously within seconds, clearly distinguishing the mechanisms of [2Fe-2S] and [4Fe-4S] protein maturation. Our study defines the physiologically relevant mechanistic action of late-acting ISC factors in mitochondrial [4Fe-4S] cluster synthesis, trafficking, and apoprotein insertion.

Fully Delocalized Mixed-Valent Cu1.5 Cu1.5 Complex: Strong Cu-Cu interaction and Fast Electron Self-Exchange Rate Despite Large Structural Changes.

A flexible macrocyclic ligand with two tridentate {CNC} compartments can host two Cu ions in reversibly interconvertible states, CuI CuI (1) and mixed-valent Cu1.5 Cu1.5 (2). They were characterized by XRD and multiple spectroscopic methods, including EPR, UV/Vis absorption and MCD, in combination with TD-DFT and CASSCF calculations. 2 features a short Cu⋅⋅⋅Cu distance (≈2.5 Å; compared to ≈4.0 Šin 1) and a very high delocalization energy of 13 000 cm-1 , comparable to the mixed-valent state of the biological CuA site. Electron self-exchange between 1 and 2 is rapid despite large structural reorganization, and is proposed to proceed via a sequential mechanism involving an active conformer of 1, viz. 1'; the latter has been characterized by XRD. Such electron transfer (ET) process is reminiscent of the conformationally gated ET proposed for biological systems. This redox couple is a unique pair of flexible dicopper complexes, achieving fast electron self-exchange closely related to the function of the CuA site.

Identification of the Catalytically Dominant Iron Environment in Iron- and Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Catalysts for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction.

For large-scale utilization of fuel cells in a future hydrogen-based energy economy, affordable and environmentally benign catalysts are needed. Pyrolytically obtained metal- and nitrogen-doped carbon (MNC) catalysts are key contenders for this task. Their systematic improvement requires detailed knowledge of the active site composition and degradation mechanisms. In FeNC catalysts, the active site is an iron ion coordinated by nitrogen atoms embedded in an extended graphene sheet. Herein, we build an active site model from in situ and operando 57Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy and quantum chemistry. A Mössbauer signal newly emerging under operando conditions, D4, is correlated with the loss of other Mössbauer signatures (D2, D3a, D3b), implying a direct structural correspondence. Pyrrolic N-coordination, i.e., FeN4C12, is found as a spectroscopically and thermodynamically consistent model for the entire catalytic cycle, in contrast to pyridinic nitrogen coordination. These findings thus overcome the previously conflicting structural assignments for the active site and, moreover, identify and structurally assign a previously unknown intermediate in the oxygen reduction reaction at FeNC catalysts.

A Combined Spectroscopic and Computational Study on the Mechanism of Iron-Catalyzed Aminofunctionalization of Olefins Using Hydroxylamine Derived N-O Reagent as the "Amino" Source and "Oxidant".

Herein, we study the mechanism of iron-catalyzed direct synthesis of unprotected aminoethers from olefins by a hydroxyl amine derived reagent using a wide range of analytical and spectroscopic techniques (Mössbauer, Electron Paramagnetic Resonance, Ultra-Violet Visible Spectroscopy, X-ray Absorption, Nuclear Resonance Vibrational Spectroscopy, and resonance Raman) along with high-level quantum chemical calculations. The hydroxyl amine derived triflic acid salt acts as the "oxidant" as well as "amino" group donor. It activates the high-spin Fe(II) (St = 2) catalyst [Fe(acac)2(H2O)2] (1) to generate a high-spin (St = 5/2) intermediate (Int I), which decays to a second intermediate (Int II) with St = 2. The analysis of spectroscopic and computational data leads to the formulation of Int I as [Fe(III)(acac)2-N-acyloxy] (an alkyl-peroxo-Fe(III) analogue). Furthermore, Int II is formed by N-O bond homolysis. However, it does not generate a high-valent Fe(IV)(NH) species (a Fe(IV)(O) analogue), but instead a high-spin Fe(III) center which is strongly antiferromagnetically coupled (J = -524 cm-1) to an iminyl radical, [Fe(III)(acac)2-NH·], giving St = 2. Though Fe(NH) complexes as isoelectronic surrogates to Fe(O) functionalities are known, detection of a high-spin Fe(III)-N-acyloxy intermediate (Int I), which undergoes N-O bond cleavage to generate the active iron-nitrogen intermediate (Int II), is unprecedented. Relative to Fe(IV)(O) centers, Int II features a weak elongated Fe-N bond which, together with the unpaired electron density along the Fe-N bond vector, helps to rationalize its propensity for N-transfer reactions onto styrenyl olefins, resulting in the overall formation of aminoethers. This study thus demonstrates the potential of utilizing the iron-coordinated nitrogen-centered radicals as powerful reactive intermediates in catalysis.

Histidine-Gated Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer to the CuA Site of Nitrous Oxide Reductase.

Copper-containing nitrous oxide reductase (N2OR) is the only known enzyme to catalyze the conversion of the environmentally critical greenhouse gas nitrous oxide (N2O) to dinitrogen (N2) as the final step of bacterial denitrification. Other than its unique tetranuclear active site CuZ, the binuclear electron entry point CuA is also utilized in other enzymes, including cytochrome c oxidase. In the CuA site of Pseudomonas stutzeri N2OR, a histidine ligand was found to undergo a conformational flip upon binding of the substrate N2O between the two copper centers. Here we report on the systematic mutagenesis and spectroscopic and structural characterization of this histidine and surrounding H-bonding residues, based on an established functional expression system for PsN2OR in E. coli. A single hydrogen bond from Ser550 is sufficient to stabilize an unbound conformation of His583, as shown in a Asp576Ala variant, while the additional removal of the hydrogen bond in a Asp576Ala/Ser550Ala double variant compelled His583 to stay in a bound conformation as a ligand to CuA. Systematic mutagenesis of His583 to Ala, Asp, Asn, Glu, Gln, Lys, Phe, Tyr, and Trp showed that although both the CuZ and CuA sites were present in all the variants, only the ones with a protonable side chain, i.e., His, Asp, and Glu, were able to mediate electron transfer at physiological pH. This observation is in line with a proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism at the CuA site of N2OR.

Ligand Tailoring Toward an Air-Stable Iron(V) Nitrido Complex.

A new supporting ligand, tris-[2-(3-mesityl-imidazol-2-ylidene)methyl]amine (TIMMNMes), was developed and utilized to isolate an air-stable iron(V) complex bearing a terminal nitrido ligand, which was synthesized by one-electron oxidation from the iron(IV) precursor. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses of both complexes reveal that the metal-centered oxidation is escorted by iron nitride (Fe≡N) bond elongation, which in turn is accompanied by the accommodation of the high-valence iron center closer to the equatorial plane of a trigonal bipyramid. This contrasts with the previous observation of the only other literature-known Fe(IV)≡N/Fe(V)≡N redox pair, namely, [PhB(tBuIm)3FeN]0/+. On the basis of 57Fe Mössbauer, EPR, and UV/vis electronic absorption spectroscopy as well as quantum chemical calculations, we identified the lesser degree of pyramidalization around the iron atom, the Jahn-Teller distortion, and the resulting nature of the SOMO to be the decisive factors at play.

A Reactive, Photogenerated High-Spin (S = 2) FeIV(O) Complex via O2 Activation.

Addition of dioxygen at low temperature to the non-heme ferrous complex FeII(Me3TACN)((OSiPh2)2O) (1) in 2-MeTHF produces a peroxo-bridged diferric complex Fe2III(µ-O2)(Me3TACN)2((OSiPh2)2O)2 (2), which was characterized by UV-vis, resonance Raman, and variable field Mössbauer spectroscopies. Illumination of a frozen solution of 2 in THF with white light leads to homolytic O-O bond cleavage and generation of a FeIV(O) complex 4 (ν(Fe=O) = 818 cm-1; δ = 0.22 mm s-1, ΔEQ = 0.23 mm s-1). Variable field Mössbauer spectroscopy measurements show that 4 is a rare example of a high-spin S = 2 FeIV(O) complex and the first synthetic example to be generated directly from O2. Complex 4 is highly reactive, as expected for a high-spin ferryl, and decays rapidly in fluid solution at cryogenic temperatures. This decay process in 2-MeTHF involves C-H cleavage of the solvent. However, the controlled photolysis of 2 in situ with visible light and excess phenol substrate leads to competitive phenol oxidation, via the proposed transient generation of 4 as the active oxidant.

Cooperative Co-Activation of Water and Hypochlorite by a Non-Heme Diiron(III) Complex.

Aqueous solutions of the iron(III) complex of N,N,N'-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)ethylenediamine-N'-acetate (tpena) react with hypochlorite (ClO-) to produce the reactive high-valent [FeIV(O)(tpena)]+. Under catalytic conditions, in bicarbonate-buffered media (pH 8) with a set ionic strength (10 mM NaCl), kinetic analysis shows that two equivalents of [FeIV(O)(tpena)]+ per one ClO- are produced, with benign chloride ions the only byproduct. An unprecedented supramolecular activation of ClO- by {(HCO3)⊂[(tpena)FeIII(µ-O)FeIII(Htpena)]}2+ is proposed. This mode of activation has great advantage for use in the catalytic oxidation of C-H bonds in water since: (i) the catalyst scaffold is protected from oxidative degradation and (ii) undesirable radical side reactions which produce toxic chlorinated compounds are circumvented by this novel coactivation of water and ClO-. The unique activation mechanism by the Fe-tpena system makes possible the destruction of organic contaminants as an add-on technology to water disinfection by chlorination, demonstrated here through (i) the catalytic oxidation of micropollutant metaldehyde, and (ii) mineralization of the model substrate formate. The resting-state speciation at pH 3, 5, 7, and 9, as well as the catalytically active iron speciation are characterized with Mössbauer and EPR spectroscopy and supported by DFT calculations. Our study provides fundamentally new insights into the design and activation mode of iron-based catalysts relevant to applications in water remediation.

Rational Design of a Confacial Pentaoctahedron: Anisotropic Exchange in a Linear ZnII FeIII FeIII FeIII ZnII Complex.

The first confacial pentaoctahedron comprised of transition metal ions namely ZnII FeIII A FeIII B FeIII A ZnII has been synthesized by using a dinucleating nonadentate ligand. The face-sharing bridging mode enforces short ZnII ⋅⋅⋅FeIII A and FeIII A ⋅⋅⋅FeIII B distances of 2.83 and 2.72 Å, respectively. Ab-initio CASSCF/NEVPT2 calculations provide significant negative zero-field splittings for FeIII A and FeIII B with |DA |>|DB | with the main component along the C3 axis. Hence, a spin-Hamiltonian comprised of anisotropic exchange, zero-field, and Zeeman term was employed. This allowed by following the boundary conditions from the theoretical results the simulation in a theory-guided parameter determination with Jxy =+0.37, Jz =-0.32, DA =-1.21, EA =-0.24, DB =-0.35, and EB =-0.01 cm-1 supported by simulations of high-field magnetic Mössbauer spectra recorded at 2 K. The weak but ferromagnetic FeIII A FeIII B interaction arises from the small bridging angle of 84.8° being at the switch from anti- to ferromagnetic for the face-sharing bridging mode.

Systematic Variation of 3d Metal Centers in a Redox-Innocent Ligand Environment: Structures, Electrochemical Properties, and Carbon Dioxide Activation.

Coordination compounds of earth-abundant 3d transition metals are among the most effective catalysts for the electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO2). While the properties of the metal center are crucial for the ability of the complexes to electrochemically activate CO2, systematic variations of the metal within an identical, redox-innocent ligand backbone remain insufficiently investigated. Here, we report on the synthesis, structural and spectroscopic characterization, and electrochemical investigation of a series of 3d transition-metal complexes [M = Mn(I), Fe(II), Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(I), and Zn(II)] coordinated by a new redox-innocent PNP pincer ligand system. Only the Fe, Co, and Ni complexes reveal distinct metal-centered electrochemical reductions from M(II) down to M(0) and show indications for interaction with CO2 in their reduced states. The Ni(0) d10 species associates with CO2 to form a putative Aresta-type Ni-η2-CO2 complex, where electron transfer to CO2 through back-bonding is insufficient to enable electrocatalytic activity. By contrast, the Co(0) d9 intermediate binding CO2 can undergo additional electron uptake into a formal cobalt(I) metallacarboxylate complex able to promote turnover. Our data, together with the few literature precedents, single out that an unsaturated coordination sphere (coordination number = 4 or 5) and a d7-to-d9 configuration in the reduced low oxidation state (+I or 0) are characteristics that foster electrochemical CO2 activation for complexes based on redox-innocent ligands.

Experimental and Theoretical Evidence for an Unusual Almost Triply Degenerate Electronic Ground State of Ferrous Tetraphenylporphyrin.

Iron porphyrins exhibit unrivalled catalytic activity for electrochemical CO2-to-CO conversion. Despite intensive experimental and computational studies in the last 4 decades, the exact nature of the prototypical square-planar [FeII(TPP)] complex (1; TPP2- = tetraphenylporphyrinate dianion) remained highly debated. Specifically, its intermediate-spin (S = 1) ground state was contradictorily assigned to either a nondegenerate 3A2g state with a (dxy)2(dz2)2(dxz,yz)2 configuration or a degenerate 3Egθ state with a (dxy)2(dxz,yz)3(dz2)1/(dz2)2(dxy)1(dxz,yz)3 configuration. To address this question, we present herein a comprehensive, spectroscopy-based theoretical and experimental electronic-structure investigation on complex 1. Highly correlated wave-function-based computations predicted that 3A2g and 3Egθ are well-isolated from other triplet states by ca. 4000 cm-1, whereas their splitting ΔA-E is on par with the effective spin-orbit coupling (SOC) constant of iron(II) (≈400 cm-1). Therfore, we invoked an effective Hamiltonian (EH) operating on the nine magnetic sublevels arising from SOC between the 3A2g and 3Egθ states. This approach enabled us to successfully simulate all spectroscopic data of 1 obtained by variable-temperature and variable-field magnetization, applied-field 57Fe Mössbauer, and terahertz electron paramagnetic resonance measurements. Remarkably, the EH contains only three adjustable parameters, namely, the energy gap without SOC, ΔA-E, an angle θ that describes the mixing of (dxy)2(dxz,yz)3(dz2)1 and (dz2)2(dxy)1(dxz,yz)3 configurations, and the ⟨rd-3⟩ expectation value of the iron d orbitals that is necessary to estimate the 57Fe magnetic hyperfine coupling tensor. The EH simulations revealed that the triplet ground state of 1 is genuinely multiconfigurational with substantial parentages of both 3A2g (<88%) and 3Eg (>12%), owing to their accidental near-triple degeneracy with ΔA-E = +950 cm-1. As a consequence of this peculiar electronic structure, 1 exhibits a huge effective magnetic moment (4.2 µB at 300 K), large temperature-independent paramagnetism, a large and positive axial zero-field splitting, strong easy-plane magnetization (g⊥ ≈ 3 and g∥ ≈ 1.7) and a large and positive internal field at the 57Fe nucleus aligned in the xy plane. Further in-depth analyses suggested that g⊥ ≫ g∥ is a general spectroscopic signature of near-triple orbital degeneracy with more than half-filled pseudodegenerate orbital sets. Implications of the unusual electronic structure of 1 for CO2 reduction are discussed.

Binding of dinitrogen to an iron-sulfur-carbon site.

Nitrogenases are the enzymes by which certain microorganisms convert atmospheric dinitrogen (N2) to ammonia, thereby providing essential nitrogen atoms for higher organisms. The most common nitrogenases reduce atmospheric N2 at the FeMo cofactor, a sulfur-rich iron-molybdenum cluster (FeMoco). The central iron sites that are coordinated to sulfur and carbon atoms in FeMoco have been proposed to be the substrate binding sites, on the basis of kinetic and spectroscopic studies. In the resting state, the central iron sites each have bonds to three sulfur atoms and one carbon atom. Addition of electrons to the resting state causes the FeMoco to react with N2, but the geometry and bonding environment of N2-bound species remain unknown. Here we describe a synthetic complex with a sulfur-rich coordination sphere that, upon reduction, breaks an Fe-S bond and binds N2. The product is the first synthetic Fe-N2 complex in which iron has bonds to sulfur and carbon atoms, providing a model for N2 coordination in the FeMoco. Our results demonstrate that breaking an Fe-S bond is a chemically reasonable route to N2 binding in the FeMoco, and show structural and spectroscopic details for weakened N2 on a sulfur-rich iron site.

A Pseudotetrahedral Terminal Oxoiron(IV) Complex: Mechanistic Promiscuity in C-H Bond Oxidation Reactions.

S=2 oxoiron(IV) species act as reactive intermediates in the catalytic cycle of nonheme iron oxygenases. The few available synthetic S=2 FeIV =O complexes known to date are often limited to trigonal bipyramidal and very rarely to octahedral geometries. Herein we describe the generation and characterization of an S=2 pseudotetrahedral FeIV =O complex 2 supported by the sterically demanding 1,4,7-tri-tert-butyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane ligand. Complex 2 is a very potent oxidant in hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) reactions with large non-classical deuterium kinetic isotope effects, suggesting hydrogen tunneling contributions. For sterically encumbered substrates, direct HAA is impeded and an alternative oxidative asynchronous proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism prevails, which is unique within the nonheme oxoiron community. The high reactivity and the similar spectroscopic parameters make 2 one of the best electronic and functional models for a biological oxoiron(IV) intermediate of taurine dioxygenase (TauD-J).

Isolation of a Homoleptic Non-oxo Mo(V) Alkoxide Complex: Synthesis, Structure, and Electronic Properties of Penta-tert-Butoxymolybdenum.

Treatment of [MoCl4(THF)2] with MOtBu (M = Na, Li) does not result in simple metathetic ligand exchange but entails disproportionation with formation of the well-known dinuclear complex [(tBuO)3Mo≡Mo(OtBu)3] and a new paramagnetic compound, [Mo(OtBu)5]. This particular five-coordinate species is the first monomeric, homoleptic, all-oxygen-ligated but non-oxo 4d1 Mo(V) complex known to date; as such, it proves that the dominance of the Mo═O group over (high-valent) molybdenum chemistry can be challenged. [Mo(OtBu)5] was characterized in detail by a combined experimental/computational approach using X-ray diffraction; UV/vis, MCD, IR, EPR, and NMR spectroscopy; and quantum chemistry. The recorded data confirm a Jahn-Teller distortion of the structure, as befitting a d1 species, and show that the complex undergoes Berry pseudorotation. The alkoxide ligands render the disproportionation reaction, leading the formation of [Mo(OtBu)5] to be particularly facile, even though the parent complex [MoCl4(THF)2] itself was also found to be intrinsically unstable; remarkably, this substrate converts into a crystalline material, in which the newly formed Mo(III) and Mo(V) products cohabitate the same unit cell.

A Manganese(IV)-Hydroperoxo Intermediate Generated by Protonation of the Corresponding Manganese(III)-Superoxo Complex.

Earlier work revealed that metal-superoxo species primarily function as radicals and/or electrophiles. Herein, we present ambiphilicity of a MnIII-superoxo complex revealed by its proton- and metal-coupled electron-transfer processes. Specifically, a MnIV-hydroperoxo intermediate, [Mn(BDPBrP)(OOH)]+ (1, H2BDPBrP = 2,6-bis((2-(S)-di(4-bromo)phenylhydroxylmethyl-1-pyrrolidinyl)methyl)pyridine) was generated by treatment of a MnIII-superoxo complex, Mn(BDPBrP)(O2•) (2) with trifluoroacetic acid at -120 °C. Detailed insights into the electronic structure of 1 are obtained using resonance Raman and multi-frequency electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopies coupled with density functional theory calculations. Similarly, the reaction of 2 with scandium(III) triflate was shown to give a Mn(IV)/Sc(III) bridging peroxo species, [Mn(BDPBrP)(OO)Sc(OTf)n](3-n)+ (4). Furthermore, it is found that deprotonation of 1 quantitatively regenerates 2, and that one-electron oxidation of the corresponding MnIII-hydroperoxo species, Mn(BDPBrP)(OOH) (3), also yields 1.

Dispersion Forces Drive the Formation of Uranium-Alkane Adducts.

Single-crystal cryogenic X-ray diffraction at 6 K, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy, and correlated electronic structure calculations are combined to shed light on the nature of the metal-tris(aryloxide) and η2-H, C metal-alkane interactions in the [((t·BuArO)3tacn)UIII(Mecy-C6)]·(Mecy-C6) adduct. An analysis of the ligand field experienced by the uranium center using ab initio ligand field theory in combination with the angular overlap model yields rather unusual U-OArO and U-Ntacn bonding parameters for the metal-tris(aryloxide) interaction. These parameters are incompatible with the concept of σ and π metal-ligand overlap. For that reason, it is deduced that metal-ligand bonding in the [((t·BuArO)3tacn)UIII] moiety is predominantly ionic. The bonding interaction within the [((t·BuArO)3tacn)UIII] moiety is shown to be dispersive in nature and essentially supported by the upper-rim tBu groups of the (t·BuArO)3tacn3- ligand. Our findings indicate that the axial alkane molecule is held in place by the guest-host effect rather than direct metal-alkane ionic or covalent interactions.

Stoichiometric Formation of an Oxoiron(IV) Complex by a Soluble Methane Monooxygenase Type Activation of O2 at an Iron(II)-Cyclam Center.

In soluble methane monooxygenase enzymes (sMMO), dioxygen (O2) is activated at a diiron(II) center to form an oxodiiron(IV) intermediate Q that performs the challenging oxidation of methane to methanol. An analogous mechanism of O2 activation at mono- or dinuclear iron centers is rare in the synthetic chemistry. Herein, we report a mononuclear non-heme iron(II)-cyclam complex, 1-trans, that activates O2 to form the corresponding iron(IV)-oxo complex, 2-trans, via a mechanism reminiscent of the O2 activation process in sMMO. The conversion of 1-trans to 2-trans proceeds via the intermediate formation of an iron(III)-superoxide species 3, which could be trapped and spectroscopically characterized at -50 °C. Surprisingly, 3 is a stronger oxygen atom transfer (OAT) agent than 2-trans; 3 performs OAT to 1-trans or PPh3 to yield 2-trans quantitatively. Furthermore, 2-trans oxidizes the aromatic C-H bonds of 2,6-di-tert-butylphenol, which, together with the strong OAT ability of 3, represents new domains of oxoiron(IV) and superoxoiron(III) reactivities.