Preparation of iron amido complexes via putative Fe(IV) imido intermediates

Uranyl oxo activation and functionalization by metal cation coordination

The oxo groups in the uranyl ion [UO(2)](2+)-one of many oxo cations formed by metals from across the periodic table-are particularly inert, which explains the dominance of this ion in the laboratory and its persistence as an environmental contaminant. In contrast, transition metal oxo (M=O) compounds can be highly reactive and carry out difficult reactions such as the oxygenation of hydrocarbons. Here we show how the sequential addition of a lithium metal base to the uranyl ion constrained in a 'Pacman' environment results in lithium coordination to the U=O bonds and single-electron reduction. This reaction depends on the nature and stoichiometry of the lithium reagent and suggests that competing reduction and C-H bond activation reactions are occurring.

N-H and N=C bond formation via germanium(III) diradicaloid intermediates and C-S bond cleavage in reactions of the digermyne Ar'GeGeAr' (Ar' = C6H3-2,6-(C6H3-2,6-Pr(i)2)2) with azides

Reactions of the digermyne Ar'GeGeAr' (Ar' = C(6)H(3)-2,6(C(6)H(3)-2,6-Pr(i)(2))(2)) (1) with four different azides R'N(3) (R = Me(3)Sn, (n)Bu(3)Sn, PhSCH(2), or 1-adamantanyl) are described. Treatment of 1 with Me(3)SnN(3) or (n)Bu(3)SnN(3) afforded the low-valent germanium (II) parent amido derivative, Ar'Ge(mu(2)-NH(2))(2)GeAr' (3) or the high-valent germanium (IV) parent imido derivative, Ar'((n)Bu(3)Sn)Ge(mu(2)-NH)(2)Ge(Sn(n)Bu(3))Ar' (4), respectively. Addition of AdN(3) (Ad =1-admantanyl) yielded a monoimide bridged species Ar'Ge(mu(2)-NAd)GeAr' (5). The structure of 5 differs from that of the diradicaloid Ar'Ge(mu(2)-NSiMe(3))(2)GeAr' (2), which was previously obtained from the analogous reaction of 1 with Me(3)SiN(3). The reaction of 1 with PhSCH(2)N(3) afforded the germanium ketimide Ar'Ge(SPh)(2)(N=CH(2)) (6) containing the imino -N=CH(2) functional group. These reactions demonstrate a remarkable product dependence on the azide substituent. All compounds were spectroscopically and structurally characterized. Both 3 and 4 feature a four-membered Ge(2)N(2) core. The structure of 5 is stabilized by CH-pi interactions while 6 features a rare example of a pi-pi interaction between an aromatic ring and a non-aromatic double bond (N=C). The mechanism of formation of 3-6 are discussed. It is proposed that 3 and 4 are obtained via diradical imido intermediates followed by H-abstraction from solvents, whereas 6 was formed by the activation of azide group in concert with C-S bond cleavage.

Synthesis and characterization of a series of structurally and electronically diverse Fe(II) complexes featuring a family of triphenylamido-amine ligands

A family of triphenylamido-amine ligands of the general stoichiometry L(x)H(3) = [R-NH-(2-C(6)H(4))](3)N (R = 4-t-BuPh (L(1)H(3)), 3,5-t-Bu(2)Ph (L(2)H(3)), 3,5-(CF(3))(2)Ph (L(3)H(3)), CO-t-Bu (L(4)H(3)), 3,5-Cl(2)Ph (L(5)H(3)), COPh (L(6)H(3)), CO-i-Pr (L(7)H(3)), COCF(3) (L(8)H(3)), and i-Pr (L(9)H(3))) has been synthesized and characterized, featuring a rigid triphenylamido-amine scaffold and an array of stereoelectronically diverse aryl, acyl, and alkyl substituents (R). These ligands are deprotonated by potassium hydride in THF or DMA and reacted with anhydrous FeCl(2) to afford a series of ferrous complexes, exhibiting stoichiometric variation and structural complexity. The prevalent [(L(x))Fe(II)-solv](-) structures (L(x) = L(1), L(2), L(3), L(5), solv = THF; L(x) = L(8), solv = DMA; L(x) = L(6), L(8), solv = MeCN) reveal a distorted trigonal bipyramidal geometry, featuring ligand-derived [N(3,amido)N(amine)] coordination and solvent attachment trans to the N(amine) atom. Specifically for [(L(8))Fe(II)-DMA](-), a N(amido) residue is coordinated as the corresponding N(imino) moiety (Fe-N(Ar) horizontal lineC(CF(3))-O(-)). In contrast, compounds [(L(4))Fe(II)](-), [(L(6))(2)Fe(II)(2)](2-), [K(L(7))(2)Fe(II)(2)](2)(2-), and [K(L(9))Fe](2) are all solvent-free in their coordination sphere and exhibit four-coordinate geometries of significant diversity. In particular, [(L(4))Fe(II)](-) demonstrates coordination of one amidato residue via the O-atom end (Fe-O-C(t-Bu) horizontal lineN(Ar)). Furthermore, [(L(6))(2)Fe(II)(2)](2-) and [K(L(7))(2)Fe(II)(2)](2)(2-) are similar structures exhibiting bridging amidato residues (Fe-N(Ar)-C(R) horizontal lineO-Fe) in dimeric structural units. Finally, the structure of [K(L(9))Fe](2) is the only example featuring a minimal [N(3,amido)N(amine)] coordination sphere around each Fe(II) site. All compounds have been characterized by a variety of physicochemical techniques, including Mossbauer spectroscopy and electrochemistry, to reveal electronic attributes that are responsible for a range of Fe(II)/Fe(III) redox potentials exceeding 1.0 V.

Mechanism of the iron-mediated alkene aziridination reaction: experimental and computational investigations

Combined experimental and computational studies suggest that the iron-mediated aziridination of cis-1-phenylpropene proceeds along two mechanistic pathways that share a common imidoiron(IV) intermediate. One pathway involves a second species, proposed to be an azametallacyclobutane intermediate, which collapses to provide the syn-aziridine product. A second, parallel pathway is responsible for the formation of an anti-aziridine.

Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reactions of Imido Manganese(V) Corrole: One Reaction with Two Mechanistic Pathways

Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions of (tpfc)MnNTs have been investigated (tpfc = 5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole and Ts = p-toluenesulfonate). 9,10-Dihydroanthracene and 1,4-dihydrobenzene reduce (tpfc)MnNTs via HAT with second-order rate constants 0.16 +/- 0.03 and 0.17 +/- 0.01 M(-1) s(-1), respectively, at 22 degrees C. The products are the respective arenes, TsNH(2) and (tpfc)Mn(III). Conversion of (tpfc)MnNTs to (tpfc)Mn by reaction with dihydroanthracene exhibits isosbestic behavior, and formation of 9,9',10,10'-tetrahydrobianthracene is not observed, suggesting that the intermediate anthracene radical rebounds in a second fast step without accumulation of a Mn(IV) intermediate. The imido complex (tpfc)Mn(V)NTs abstracts a hydrogen atom from phenols as well. For example, 2,6-di-tert-butyl phenol is oxidized to the corresponding phenoxyl radical with a second-order rate constant of 0.32 +/- 0.02 M(-1) s(-1) at 22 degrees C. The other products from imido manganese(V) are TsNH(2) and the trivalent manganese corrole. Unlike reaction with dihydroarenes, when phenols are used isosbestic behavior is not observed, and formation of (tpfc)Mn(IV)(NHTs) is confirmed by EPR spectroscopy. A Hammett plot for various p-substituted 2,6-di-tert-butyl phenols yields a V-shaped dependence on sigma, with electron-donating substituents exhibiting the expected negative rho while electron-withdrawing substituents fall above the linear fit (i.e., positive rho). Similarly, a bond dissociation enthalpy (BDE) correlation places electron-withdrawing substituents above the well-defined negative slope found for the electron-donating substituents. Thus two mechanisms are established for HAT reactions in this system, namely, concerted proton-electron transfer and proton-gated electron transfer in which proton transfer is followed by electron transfer.

Vibrational spectroscopy and analysis of pseudo-tetrahedral complexes with metal imido bonds

A number of assignments have been previously posited for the metal-nitrogen stretch (nu(M-NR)), the N-R stretch (nu(MN-R)), and possible ligand deformation modes associated with terminally bound imides. Here we examine mononuclear iron(III) and cobalt(III) imido complexes of the monoanionic tridentate ligand [PhBP3] ([PhBP3] = [PhB(CH2PPh2)3]-) to clarify the vibrational features for these trivalent metal imides. We report the structures of [PhBP3]FeNtBu and [PhBP3]CoNtBu. Pseudo-tetrahedral metal imides of these types exhibit short bond lengths (ca. 1.65 A) and nearly linear angles about the M-N-C linkages, indicative of multiple bond character. Furthermore, these compounds give rise to intense, low-energy visible absorptions. Both the position and the intensity of the optical bands in the [PhBP3]MNR complexes depend on whether the substituent is an alkyl or aryl group. Excitation into the low-energy bands of [PhBP3]FeNtBu gives rise to two Raman features at 1104 and 1233 cm(-1), both of which are sensitive to 15N and 2H labeling. The isotope labeling suggests the 1104 cm(-1) mode has the greatest Fe-N stretching character, while the 1233 cm(-1) mode is affected to a lesser extent by (15)N substitution. The spectra of the deuterium-labeled imides further support this assertion. The data demonstrate that the observed peaks are not simple diatomic stretching modes but are extensively coupled to the vibrations of the ancillary organic group. Therefore, describing these complexes as simple diatomic or even triatomic oscillators is an oversimplification. Analogous studies of the corresponding cobalt(III) complex lead to a similar set of isotopically sensitive resonances at 1103 and 1238 cm(-1), corroborating the assignments made in the iron imides. Very minimal changes in the vibrational frequencies are observed upon replacement of cobalt(III) for iron(III), suggesting similar force constants for the two compounds. This is consistent with the previously proposed electronic structure model in which the added electron resides in a relatively nonbonding orbital. Replacement of the tBu group with a phenyl ring leads to a significantly more complicated resonance Raman spectrum, presumably due to coupling with the vibrations of the phenyl ring. Polarization studies demonstrate that the observed modes have A(1) symmetry. In this case, a clearer resonance enhancement of the signals is observed, supporting a charge transfer designation for the electronic transitions. A series of isotope-labeling experiments has been carried out, and the modes with the greatest metal-nitrogen stretching character have been assigned to peaks at approximately 960 and approximately 1300 cm(-1) in both the iron and cobalt [PhBP3]MNPh complexes. These results are consistent with a multiple M-N bond for these metal imides.

Synthesis and Structures of Dimeric Iron(III)-Oxo and -Imido Complexes Containing Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds

Hydrogen bonding networks proximal to metal centers are emerging as a viable means for controlling secondary coordination spheres. This has led to the regulation of reactivity and isolation of complexes with new structural motifs. We have used the tridenate ligand bis[(N'-tert-butylureido)-N-ethyl]-N-methylaminato ([H(2)1](2-)) that contains two hydrogen bond donors to examine the oxidation of the Fe(II)-acetate complex, [Fe(II)H(2)1(η(2)-OAc)](-) with dioxygen, amine N-oxides, and xylyl azide. A complex with Fe(III)-O-Fe(III) core results from the oxidation with dioxygen and amine N-oxides, in which the oxo ligand is involved in hydrogen bonding to the [H(2)1](2-) ligand. A distinctly different hydrogen bonding network was found in Fe(III) dimer isolated from the reaction with the xylyl azide: a rare Fe(III)-N(R)-Fe(III) core was observed that does not have hydrogen bonds to the bridging nitrogen atom. The intramolecular H-bond networks within these dimers appear to adjust to the presence of the bridging species and rearrange to its size and electron density.

Influence of Chelate Substituents on the Structure and Spin State of Unsaturated [N(SiMe2CH2PtBu2)2]Ru−X

Density functional theory calculations on the conformational preferences in the two fused five-membered rings of anionic N(SiR2CH2PR'2)2 chelated to RuX+ are compared to several experimental structures (X=halide). The calculations consider the structures of both singlet and triplet states and reveal that both the four tBu groups and the crowded juncture (N(SiMe2)2) of the two rings must be included computationally to understand the observed structures. Computational experiments with different substituents R and R' show the reality of N-->Ru pi donation. The cases where X=H and CH3 are also studied.

Mechanism of catalytic aziridination with manganese corrole: the often postulated high-valent Mn(V) imido is not the group transfer reagent

The reaction of Arl=NTs (Ar = 2-(tert-butylsulfonyl)benzene and Ts = p-toluenesulfonyl) and (tpfc)Mn (tpfc=5,10,15-tris(pentafluorophenyl)corrole), 1, affords the high-valent (tpfc)MnV=NTs, 2, on stopped-flow time scale. The reaction proceeds via the adduct [(tpfc)MnIII(ArINTs)], 3, with formation constant K3 = (10 +/- 2) x 10(3) L mol-1. Subsequently, 3 undergoes unimolecular group transfer to give complex 2 with the rate constant k4 = 0.26 +/- 0.07 s-1 at 24.0 degrees C. The complex (tpfc)Mn catalyzes [NTs] group transfer from ArINTs to styrene substrates with low catalyst loading and without requirement of excess olefin. The catalytic aziridination reaction is most efficient in benzene because solvents such as toluene undergo a competing hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reaction resulting in H2NTs and lowered aziridine yields. The high-valent manganese imido complex (tpfc)Mn=NTs does not transfer its [NTs] group to styrene. Double-labeling experiments with ArINTs and ArINTstBu (TstBu = (p-tert-butylphenyl)sulfonyl) establish the source of [NR] transfer as a "third oxidant", which is an adduct of Mn(V) imido, [(tpfc)Mn(NTstBu)(ArINTs)](4). Formation of this oxidant is rate limiting in catalysis.

Characterization of the terminal iron(IV) imides [[PhBP(t)(Bu)2(pz')]Fe(IV)NAd]+

New hybrid bis(phosphine)(pyrazole)borate tripodal ligands ([PhBPtBu2(pz')]-) are reported that support pseudotetrahedral iron in the oxidation states +1, +2, +3, and +4. The higher oxidation states are stabilized by a terminal FeNR linkage. Of particular interest is the generation and thorough characterization of an S = 1 FeIVNR+ imide cation using this new ligand system. The latter species can be observed electrochemically and spectroscopically, and its solid-state crystal structure is reported.

High-valent iron in chemical and biological oxidations

Various aspects of the reactivity of iron(IV) in chemical and biological systems are reviewed. Accumulated evidence shows that the ferryl species [Fe(IV)O](2+) can be formed under a variety of conditions including those related to the ferrous ion-hydrogen peroxide system known as Fenton's reagent. Early evidence that such a species could hydroxylate typical aliphatic C-H bonds included regioselectivities and stereospecificities for cyclohexanol hydroxylation that could not be accounted for by a freely diffusing hydroxyl radical. Iron(IV) porphyrin complexes are also found in the catalytic cycles of cytochrome P450 and chloroperoxidase. Model oxo-iron(IV) porphyrin complexes have shown reactivity similar to the proposed enzymatic intermediates. Mechanistic studies using mechanistically diagnostic substrates have implicated a radical rebound scenario for aliphatic hydroxylation by cytochrome P450. Likewise, several non-heme diiron hydroxylases, AlkB (Omega-hydroxylase), sMMO (soluble methane monooxygenase), XylM (xylene monooxygenase) and T4moH (toluene monooxygenase) all show clear indications of radical rearranged products indicating that the oxygen rebound pathway is a ubiquitous mechanism for hydrocarbon oxygenation by both heme and non-heme iron enzymes.

Synthesis and Hydrogenation of Bis(imino)pyridine Iron Imides

Treatment of the iron bis(dinitrogen) complex, (iPrPDI)Fe(N2)2 (iPrPDI = (2,6-iPr2C6H3N=CMe)2C5H3N), with a series of aryl azides resulted in loss of 3 equiv of N2 and formation of the corresponding four-coordinate iron imide compounds, (iPrPDI)Fe(NAr). These complexes, two of which (Ar = 2,6-iPr2-C6H3 and 2,4,6-Me3-C6H2) have been characterized by X-ray diffraction, are significantly distorted from planarity. The metrical parameters in combination with Mössbauer spectroscopic and SQUID magnetic data suggest an intermediate spin iron(III) center antiferromagnetically coupled to a ligand-centered radical. Nitrene group transfer has been accomplished by addition of 1 atm of CO, yielding aryl isocyanates, ArNCO, and (iPrPDI)Fe(CO)2. Hydrogenation of the more sterically hindered members of the series furnished free aniline and the previously reported iron dihydrogen complex. Catalytic aryl azide hydrogenation has also been achieved, and the observed relative rates are consistent with N-H bond formation as the rate-determining step in aniline formation.

Mid- to high-valent imido and nitrido complexes of iron

This short review summarizes recent advances in the synthesis and reactivity of iron imides and nitrides. Both monometallic and multimetallic assemblies featuring these moieties are discussed. Recent synthetic approaches have led to the availability of new mid- to high-valent iron imides and nitrides, allowing us to begin assembling models to describe the factors influencing their relative stabilities and reactivity patterns.

Temperature-programmed assembly of DNA:Au nanoparticle bioconjugates

Temperature has been used to control the order of assembly events in a solution containing three types of particles to be linked by two different sets of complementary DNA. At higher temperatures, only the duplexes having higher thermal stability were able to form. By starting at a high temperature and then cooling the sample, these more stable sequences hybridized first, followed by the less stable sequences at lower temperatures. Because of the use of thiolated DNA on Au particles, some loss and exchange of the DNA strands occurred at elevated temperatures. However, since cooperativity favors the "correct" assemblies, Au-S bond lability did not appreciably impact the order of the assembly process. Temperature programming combines the selectivity of DNA-directed assembly with the ability to control the order in which several complementary strands hybridize in a common solution and could contribute to the synthesis of more complex nanostructured materials.