Characterization of the Fleeting Hydroxoiron(III) Complex of the Pentadentate TMC-py Ligand

Abstract

Nonheme mononuclear hydroxoiron­(III) species are important intermediates in biological oxidations, but well-characterized examples of synthetic complexes are scarce due to their instability or tendency to form μ-oxodiiron­(III) complexes, which are the thermodynamic sink for such chemistry. Herein, we report the successful stabilization and characterization of a mononuclear hydroxoiron­(III) complex, [Fe^III(OH)­(TMC-py)]²⁺ (<b>3</b>; TMC-py = 1<i>-</i>(pyridyl-2′-methyl)-4,8,11-trimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetrazacyclotetradecane), which is directly generated from the reaction of [Fe^IV(O)­(TMC-py)]²⁺ (<b>2</b>) with 1,4-cyclohexadiene at −40 °C by H-atom abstraction. Complex <b>3</b> exhibits a UV spectrum with a λ_max at 335 nm (ε ≈ 3500 M^–1 cm^–1) and a molecular ion in its electrospray ionization mass spectrum at <i>m</i>/<i>z</i> 555 with an isotope distribution pattern consistent with its formulation. Electron paramagnetic resonance and Mössbauer spectroscopy show <b>3</b> to be a high-spin Fe­(III) center that is formed in 85% yield. Extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis reveals an Fe–OH bond distance of 1.84 Å, which is also found in [(TMC-py)­Fe^III–O–Cr^III(OTf)₃]⁺ (<b>4</b>) obtained from the reaction of <b>2</b> with Cr­(OTf)₂. The <i>S</i> = 5/2 spin ground state and the 1.84 Å Fe–OH bond distance are supported computationally. Complex <b>3</b> reacts with 1-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TEMPOH) at −40 °C with a second-order rate constant of 7.1 M^–1 s^–1 and an OH/OD kinetic isotope effect value of 6. On the basis of density functional theory calculations, the reaction between <b>3</b> and TEMPOH is classified as a proton-coupled electron transfer as opposed to a hydrogen-atom transfer