Geometric and electronic structure of [{Cu(MeAN)}2(μ-η2:η2(O2(2-)))]2+ with an unusually long O-O bond: O-O bond weakening vs activation for reductive cleavage

L-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy and DFT calculations on Cu2O2 species: direct electrophilic aromatic attack by side-on peroxo bridged dicopper(II) complexes

The hydroxylation of aromatic substrates catalyzed by coupled binuclear copper enzymes has been observed with side-on-peroxo-dicopper(II) (P) and bis-μ-oxo-dicopper(III) (O) model complexes. The substrate-bound-O intermediate in [Cu(II)2(DBED)2(O)2](2+) (DBED = N,N'-di-tert-butyl-ethylenediamine) was shown to perform aromatic hydroxylation. For the [Cu(II)2(NO2-XYL)(O2)](2+) complex, only a P species was spectroscopically observed. However, it was not clear whether this O-O bond cleaves to proceed through an O-type structure along the reaction coordinate for hydroxylation of the aromatic xylyl linker. Accurate evaluation of these reaction coordinates requires reasonable quantitative descriptions of the electronic structures of the P and O species. We have performed Cu L-edge XAS on two well-characterized P and O species to experimentally quantify the Cu 3d character in their ground state wave functions. The lower per-hole Cu character (40 ± 6%) corresponding to higher covalency in the O species compared to the P species (52 ± 4%) reflects a stronger bonding interaction of the bis-μ-oxo core with the Cu(III) centers. DFT calculations show that 10-20% Hartree-Fock (HF) mixing for P and ~38% for O species are required to reproduce the Cu-O bonding; for the P species this HF mixing is also required for an antiferromagnetically coupled description of the two Cu(II) centers. B3LYP (with 20% HF) was, therefore, used to calculate the hydroxylation reaction coordinate of P in [Cu(II)2(NO2-XYL)(O2)](2+). These experimentally calibrated calculations indicate that the electrophilic attack on the aromatic ring does not involve formation of a Cu(III)2(O(2-))2 species. Rather, there is direct electron donation from the aromatic ring into the peroxo σ* orbital of the Cu(II)2(O2(2-)) species, leading to concerted C-O bond formation with O-O bond cleavage. Thus, species P is capable of direct hydroxylation of aromatic substrates without the intermediacy of an O-type species.

Access to a Cu(II)-O-Cu(II) motif: spectroscopic properties, solution structure, and reactivity

We report a complex with a rare Cu(II)-O-Cu(II) structural motif that is stable at room temperature, which allows its in-depth characterization by a variety of spectroscopic methods. Interest in such compounds is fueled by the recent discovery that a Cu(II)-O-Cu(II) species on the surface of Cu-ZSM-5 is capable of oxidizing methane to methanol, and this in turn ties into mechanistic discussions on the methane oxidation at the dicopper site within the particulate methane monooxygenase. For the synthesis of our Cu2O complex we have developed a novel, neutral ligand system, FurNeu, exhibiting two N-(N',N'-dimethylaminoethyl)(2-pyridylmethyl)amino binding pockets connected by a dibenzofuran spacer. The reaction of FurNeu with CuCl yielded [FurNeu](Cu2(μ-Cl))(CuCl2), 1, demonstrating the geometric potential of the ligand to stabilize Cu-X-Cu moieties. A Cu(I) precursor with weakly coordinating anions was chosen in the next step, namely [Cu(NCCH3)4]OTf, which led to the formation of [FurNeu](Cu(NCCH3))2(OTf)2, 3. Treatment of 3 with O2 or PhIO led to identical green solutions, whose UV-vis spectra were markedly different from the one displayed by [FurNeu](Cu)2(OTf)4, 4, prepared independently from FurNeu and Cu(OTf)2. Further investigations including PhIO consumption experiments, NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy, HR-ESI mass spectrometry, and protonation studies led to the identification of the green product as [FurNeu](Cu2(μ-O))(OTf)2, 5. DOSY NMR spectroscopy confirmed its monomeric character. Over longer periods of time 5 decomposes to give [Cu(picoloyl)2], formed through an oxidative N-dealkylation reaction followed by further oxidation of the ligand. Due to its slow decomposition reaction, all attempts to crystallize 5 failed. However, its structure in solution could be determined by EXAFS analysis in combination with DFT calculations, which revealed a Cu-O-Cu angle that amounts to 105.17°. Moreover, TDDFT calculations helped to rationalize the UV-vis absorptions of 5. The reactivity of complex 5 with 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, DTBP, was also investigated; the initially formed biphenol product, TBBP, was found to further react in the presence of excessive O2 to yield 2,4,7,9-tetra-tert-butyloxepino[2,3-b]benzofuran, TBOBF, via an intermediate diphenoquinone. It turned out that 5, or its precursor 3, can even be employed as a catalyst for the oxidation of DTBP to TBBP or for the oxidation of TBBP to TBOBF.

Characterization of metastable intermediates formed in the reaction between a Mn(II) complex and dioxygen, including a crystallographic structure of a binuclear Mn(III)-peroxo species

Transition-metal peroxos have been implicated as key intermediates in a variety of critical biological processes involving O2. Because of their highly reactive nature, very few metal-peroxos have been characterized. The dioxygen chemistry of manganese remains largely unexplored despite the proposed involvement of a Mn-peroxo, either as a precursor to, or derived from, O2, in both photosynthetic H2O oxidation and DNA biosynthesis. These are arguably two of the most fundamental processes of life. Neither of these biological intermediates has been observed. Herein we describe the dioxygen chemistry of coordinatively unsaturated [Mn(II)(S(Me2)N4(6-Me-DPEN))] (+) (1), and the characterization of intermediates formed en route to a binuclear mono-oxo-bridged Mn(III) product {[Mn(III)(S(Me2)N4(6-Me-DPEN)]2(μ-O)}(2+) (2), the oxo atom of which is derived from (18)O2. At low-temperatures, a dioxygen intermediate, [Mn(S(Me2)N4(6-Me-DPEN))(O2)](+) (4), is observed (by stopped-flow) to rapidly and irreversibly form in this reaction (k1(-10 °C) = 3780 ± 180 M(-1) s(-1), ΔH1(++) = 26.4 ± 1.7 kJ mol(-1), ΔS1(++) = -75.6 ± 6.8 J mol(-1) K(-1)) and then convert more slowly (k2(-10 °C) = 417 ± 3.2 M(-1) s(-1), ΔH2(++) = 47.1 ± 1.4 kJ mol(-1), ΔS2(++) = -15.0 ± 5.7 J mol(-1) K(-1)) to a species 3 with isotopically sensitive stretches at νO-O(Δ(18)O) = 819(47) cm(-1), kO-O = 3.02 mdyn/Å, and νMn-O(Δ(18)O) = 611(25) cm(-1) consistent with a peroxo. Intermediate 3 releases approximately 0.5 equiv of H2O2 per Mn ion upon protonation, and the rate of conversion of 4 to 3 is dependent on [Mn(II)] concentration, consistent with a binuclear Mn(O2(2-)) Mn peroxo. This was verified by X-ray crystallography, where the peroxo of {[Mn(III)(S(Me2)N4(6-Me-DPEN)]2(trans-μ-1,2-O2)}(2+) (3) is shown to be bridging between two Mn(III) ions in an end-on trans-μ-1,2-fashion. This represents the first characterized example of a binuclear Mn(III)-peroxo, and a rare case in which more than one intermediate is observed en route to a binuclear μ-oxo-bridged product derived from O2. Vibrational and metrical parameters for binuclear Mn-peroxo 3 are compared with those of related binuclear Fe- and Cu-peroxo compounds.