Catalytic and Stoichiometric Baeyer-Villiger Oxidation Mediated by Nonheme Peroxo-Diiron(III), Acylperoxo, and Iodosylbenzene Iron(III) Intermediates.

In this paper we describe a detailed mechanistic studies on the [FeII(PBO)2(CF3SO3)2] (1), [FeII(PBT)2(CF3SO3)2] (2), and [FeII(PBI)3](CF3SO3)2 (3)-catalyzed (PBO = 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzoxazole, PBT = 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzthiazole, PBI = 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzimidazole) Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of cycloketones by dioxygen with cooxidation of aldehydes and peroxycarboxylic acids, including the kinetics on the reactivity of (µ-1,2-peroxo)diiron(III), acylperoxo- and iodosylbenzene-iron(III) species as key intermediates.

Nonheme Diiron Oxygenase Mimic That Generates a Diferric-Peroxo Intermediate Capable of Catalytic Olefin Epoxidation and Alkane Hydroxylation Including Cyclohexane.

Herein are described substrate oxidations with H2O2 catalyzed by [FeII(IndH)(CH3CN)3](ClO4)2 [IndH = 1,3-bis(2'-pyridylimino)isoindoline], involving a spectroscopically characterized (µ-oxo)(µ-1,2-peroxo)diiron(III) intermediate (2) that is capable of olefin epoxidation and alkane hydroxylation including cyclohexane. Species 2 also converts ketones to lactones with a decay rate dependent on [ketone], suggesting direct nucleophilic attack of the substrate carbonyl group by the peroxo species. In contrast, peroxo decay is unaffected by the addition of olefins or alkanes, but the label from H218O is incorporated into the the epoxide and alcohol products, implicating a high-valent iron-oxo oxidant that derives from O-O bond cleavage of the peroxo intermediate. These results demonstrate an ambiphilic diferric-peroxo intermediate that mimics the range of oxidative reactivities associated with O2-activating nonheme diiron enzymes.

Functional models of nonheme diiron enzymes: reactivity of the µ-oxo-µ-1,2-peroxo-diiron(iii) intermediate in electrophilic and nucleophilic reactions.

The reactivity of the previously reported peroxo-adduct [FeIII2(µ-O)(µ-1,2-O2)(IndH)2(solv)2]2+ (1) (IndH = 1,3-bis(2-pyridyl-imino)isoindoline) has been investigated in nucleophilic (e.g., deformylation of alkyl and aryl alkyl aldehydes) and electrophilic (e.g. oxidation of phenols) stoichiometric reactions as biomimics of ribonucleotide reductase (RNR-R2) and aldehyde deformylating oxygenase (ADO) enzymes. Based on detailed kinetic and mechanistic studies, we have found further evidence for the ambiphilic behaviour of the peroxo intermediates proposed for diferric oxidoreductase enzymes.

Functional models of nonheme diiron enzymes: kinetic and computational evidence for the formation of oxoiron(iv) species from peroxo-diiron(iii) complexes, and their reactivity towards phenols and H2O2.

The reactivity of the previously reported peroxo adducts [Fe2(µ-O2)(L(1))4(CH3CN)2](2+), and [Fe2(µ-O2)(L(2))4(CH3CN)2](2+), (L(1) = 2-(2'-pyridyl)benzimidazole and L(2) = 2-(2'-pyridyl)-N-methylbenzimidazole) towards H2O2 as catalase mimics, and towards various phenols as functional RNR-R2 mimics, is described. Kinetic, mechanistic and computational studies gave direct evidence for the involvement of the (µ-1,2-peroxo)diiron(iii) intermediate in the O-H activation process via formation of low-spin oxoiron(iv) species.