Evidence that steric factors modulate reactivity of tautomeric iron-oxo species in stereospecific alkane C-H hydroxylation.

A new iron complex mediates stereospecific hydroxylation of alkyl C-H bonds with hydrogen peroxide, exhibiting excellent efficiency. Isotope labelling studies provide evidence that the relative reactivity of tautomerically related oxo-iron species responsible for the C-H hydroxylation reaction is dominated by steric factors.