A Functional Model of the Cytochromec Oxidase Active Site: Unique Conversion of a Heme-?-peroxo-CuII Intermediate into Heme- superoxo/CuI

Axial Ligand Coordination Tuning of the Electrocatalytic Activity of Iron Porphyrin Electrografted onto Carbon Nanotubes for the Oxygen Reduction Reaction

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) is essential in many life processes and energy conversion systems. It is desirable to design transition metal molecular catalysts inspired by enzymatic oxygen activation/reduction processes as an alternative to noble-metal-Pt-based ORR electrocatalysts, especially in view point of fuel cell commercialization. We have fabricated bio-inspired molecular catalysts electrografted onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) in which 5,10,15,20-tetra(pentafluorophenyl) iron porphyrin (iron porphyrin FeF₂₀ TPP) is coordinated with covalently electrografted axial ligands varying from thiophene to imidazole on the MWCNTs' surface. The catalysts' electrocatalytic activity varied with the axial coordination environment (i. e., S-thiophene, N-imidazole, and O-carboxylate); the imidazole-coordinated catalyst MWCNTs-Im-FeF₂₀ TPP exhibited the highest ORR activity among the prepared catalysts. When MWCNT-Im-FeF₂₀ TPP was loaded onto the cathode of a zinc-air battery, an open-cell voltage (OCV) of 1.35 V and a maximum power density (P_max ) of 110 mW cm^-2 were achieved; this was higher than those of MWCNTs-Thi-FeF₂₀ TPP (OCV=1.30 V, P_max =100 mW cm^-2 ) and MWCNTs-Ox-FeF₂₀ TPP (OCV=1.28 V, P_max =86 mW cm^-2 ) and comparable with a commercial Pt/C catalyst (OCV=1.45 V, P_max =120 mW cm^-2 ) under similar experimental conditions. This study provides a time-saving method to prepare covalently immobilized molecular electrocatalysts on carbon-based materials with structure-performance correlation that is also applicable to the design of other electrografted catalysts for energy conversion.

Ferric Heme Superoxide Reductive Transformations to Ferric Heme (Hydro)Peroxide Species: Spectroscopic Characterization and Thermodynamic Implications for H-Atom Transfer (HAT)

A new end-on low-spin ferric heme peroxide, [(PIm )FeIII -(O22- )]- (PIm -P), and subsequently formed hydroperoxide species, [(PIm )FeIII -(OOH)] (PIm -HP) are generated utilizing the iron-porphyrinate PIm with its tethered axial base imidazolyl group. Measured thermodynamic parameters, the ferric heme superoxide [(PIm )FeIII -(O2⋅- )] (PIm -S) reduction potential (E°') and the PIm -HP pKa value, lead to the finding of the OO-H bond-dissociation free energy (BDFE) of PIm -HP as 69.5 kcal mol-1 using a thermodynamic square scheme and Bordwell relationship. The results are validated by the observed oxidizing ability of PIm -S via hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) compared to that of the F8 superoxide complex, [(F8 )FeIII -(O2.- )] (S) (F8 =tetrakis(2,6-difluorophenyl)porphyrinate, without an internally appended axial base imidazolyl), as determined from reactivity comparison of superoxide complexes PIm -S and S with the hydroxylamine (O-H) substrates TEMPO-H and ABNO-H.

Structural Determination of an Unusual CuI -Porphyrin-π-Bond in a Hetero-Pacman Cu-Zn-Complex

The synthesis and characterization of a hetero‐dinuclear compound is presented, in which a copper(I) trishistidine type coordination unit is positioned directly above a zinc porphyrin unit. The close distance between the two coordination fragments is secured by a rigid xanthene backbone, and a unique (intramolecular) copper porphyrin‐π‐bond was determined for the first time in the molecular structure. This structural motif was further analyzed by temperature‐dependent NMR studies: In solution at room temperature the coordinative bond fluctuates, while it can be frozen at low temperatures. Preliminary reactivity studies revealed a reduced reactivity of the copper(I) moiety towards dioxygen. The results adumbrate why nature is avoiding metal porphyrin‐π‐bonds by fixing reactive metal centers in a predetermined distance to each other within multimetallic enzymatic reaction centers.

Switching from a Chromium(IV) Peroxide to a Chromium(III) Superoxide upon Coordination of a Donor in the trans Position

O₂ activation at a chromium(II) siloxide complex in propionitrile leads to a chromium(III) complex with an end-on bound superoxide ligand, while the reaction in tetrahydrofuran leads to a side-on peroxo chromium(IV) compound. The superoxide reacts faster with (2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidin-1-yl)oxyl hydroxylamine while the peroxide, unlike the superoxide, proved capable of deformylating aldehydes. The system was found to represent a unique case, where even a switching between the two structures can be achieved via the solvent; its ability to coordinate at the position trans to the O₂ ligand is decisive, as supported by density functional theory studies. Altogether, the results show that subtle changes can determine for an initially formed metal-dioxygen adduct, whether it exists as a superoxide or a peroxide, which thus merits consideration in discussions on mechanisms and possible reaction routes.

Iron-porphyrin NO complexes with covalently attached N-donor ligands: formation of a stable six-coordinate species in solution

A series of substituted tetraphenylporphyrin type macrocycles (TMP or To-F(2)PP) with covalently attached N-donor ligands (pyridine or imidazole linker) have been synthesized. Linkers with varying chain lengths and designs have been applied to systematically investigate the effect of chain length and rigidity on the binding affinity of the linker to the corresponding Fe(II)-NO heme complexes. The binding of the linker is monitored in solution using a variety of spectroscopic methods including UV-vis absorption, EPR, and IR spectroscopy. Both the N-O stretching frequency and the imidazole (14)N hyperfine coupling constants show a good correlation with the Fe-(N-donor) bond strength in these systems. The complexes with covalently attached pyridyl and alkyl imidazole ligands only exhibit weak interactions of the linker with iron(II). However, the stable six-coordinate complex [Fe(To-F(2)PP-BzIM)(NO)] (4) is obtained when a rigid benzyl linker is applied. This complex exhibits typical properties of six-coordinate ferrous heme-nitrosyls in which an N-donor ligand is bound trans to NO, including the Soret band at 427 nm and the typical nine line (14)N hyperfine splitting in the EPR spectrum. A crystal structure has been obtained for the corresponding zinc complex. Here, we report the first systematic study on the requirements for the formation of stable six-coordinate ferrous heme nitrosyl complexes in solution at room temperature in the absence of excess axial N-donor ligand.

Synthetic Models of the Active Site of Cytochromec Oxidase: Influence of Tridentate or Tetradentate Copper Chelates Bearing a HisTyr Linkage Mimic on Dioxygen Adduct Formation by Heme/Cu Complexes

Two synthetic models of the active site of cytochrome c oxidase--[(LN4-OH)CuI-FeII(TMP)]+ (1 a) and [(LN3-OH)CuI-FeII(TMP)]+ (2 a)-have been designed and synthesized. These models each contain a heme and a covalently attached copper moiety supported either by a tetradentate N4-copper chelate or by a tridentate N3-copper chelate including a moiety that acts as a mimic of the crosslinked His-Tyr component of cytochrome c oxidase. Low-temperature oxygenation reactions of these models have been investigated by spectroscopic methods including UV/Vis, resonance Raman, ESI-MS, and EPR spectroscopy. Oxygenation of the tetradentate model 1 a in MeCN and in other solvents produces a low-temperature-stable dioxygen-bridged peroxide [(LN4-OH)CuII-O2-FeIII(TMP)]+ {nuO--O=799 (16O2)/752 cm(-1) (18O2)}, while a heme superoxide species [(TMP)FeIII(O2-)CuIILN3-OH] {nuFe--O2: 576 (16O2)/551 cm(-1) (18O2)} is generated when the tridentate model 2 a is oxygenated in EtCN solution under similar experimental conditions. The coexistence of a heme superoxide species [(TMP)FeIII(O2-)CuIILN3-OH] and a bridged peroxide [(LN3-OH)CuII-O2-FeIII(TMP)]+ species in equal amounts is observed when the oxygenation reaction of 2 a is performed in CH2Cl(2)/7 % EtCN, while the percentage of the peroxide (approximately 70 %) in relation to superoxide (approximately 30 %) increases further when the crosslinked phenol moiety in 2 a is deprotonated to produce the bridged peroxide [(LN3-OH)CuII-O2-FeIII(TMP)]+ {nuO--O: 812 (16O2)/765 cm(-1) (18O2)} as the main dioxygen intermediate. The weak reducibility and decreased O2 reactivity of the tricoordinated CuI site in 2 a are responsible for the solvent-dependent formation of dioxygen adducts. The initial binding of dioxygen to the copper site en route to the formation of a bridged heme-O2-Cu intermediate by model 2 a is suggested and the deprotonated crosslinked His-Tyr moiety might contribute to enhancement of the O2 affinity of the CuI site at an early stage of the dioxygen-binding process.