Effect of the ring size of TMC ligands in controlling C-H bond activation by metal-superoxo species

Metal-superoxo species play a very important role in many metal-mediated catalytic transformation reactions. Their catalytic reactivity is affected by many factors such as the nature of metal ions and ring size of ligands. Herein, for the first time, we report DFT calculations on the electronic structures of a series of metal-superoxo species (M = V, Cr, Mn, Fe, and Co) with two ring size ligands, i.e., 13-TMC/14-TMC, and a detailed mechanistic study on the C-H bond activation of cyclohexa-1,4-diene followed by the effect of the ring size of ligands. Our DFT results showed that the electron density at the distal oxygen plays an important role in C-H bond activation. By computing the energetics of C-H bond activation and mapping the potential energy surface, it was found that the initial hydrogen abstraction is the rate-determining step with both TMC rings and all the studied metal-superoxo species. The significant electron density at the cyclohex-1,4-diene carbon indicates that the reaction proceeds via the proton-coupled electron transfer mechanism. By mapping the potential energy surfaces, we found that the 13-TMC ligated superoxo with the anti-isomer are more reactive than the 14-TMC superoxo species except for the iron-superoxo species where the 14-TMC ligated superoxo species is more reactive i.e. smaller ring size TMC is more reactive towards C-H bond activation. This is also supported by the structural correlation, i.e., the greater contraction in the smaller ring results in the metal being pushed out of plane along the z-axis, which reduces the steric hindrance. Thus, the ring size can help in designing catalysts with better efficiency for catalytic reactions.

A Chromium(III)-Superoxo Complex as a Three-Electron Oxidant with a Large Tunneling Effect in Multi-Electron Oxidation of NADH Analogues

Metal-superoxo species are involved in a variety of enzymatic oxidation reactions, and multi-electron oxidation of substrates is frequently observed in those enzymatic reactions. A Cr^III -superoxo complex, [Cr^III (O₂ )(TMC)(Cl)]⁺ (1; TMC=1,4,8,11-tetramethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane), is described that acts as a novel three-electron oxidant in the oxidation of dihydronicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) analogues. In the reactions of 1 with NADH analogues, a Cr^IV -oxo complex, [Cr^IV (O)(TMC)(Cl)]⁺ (2), is formed by a heterolytic O-O bond cleavage of a putative Cr^II -hydroperoxo complex, [Cr^II (OOH)(TMC)(Cl)], which is generated by hydride transfer from NADH analogues to 1. The comparison of the reactivity of NADH analogues with 1 and p-chloranil (Cl₄ Q) indicates that oxidation of NADH analogues by 1 proceeds by proton-coupled electron transfer with a very large tunneling effect (for example, with a kinetic isotope effect of 470 at 233 K), followed by rapid electron transfer.

Tuning the Redox Properties of a Nonheme Iron(III)-Peroxo Complex Binding Redox-Inactive Zinc Ions by Water Molecules

Redox-inactive metal ions play important roles in tuning chemical properties of metal-oxygen intermediates. Herein we report the effect of water molecules on the redox properties of a nonheme iron(III)-peroxo complex binding redox-inactive metal ions. The coordination of two water molecules to a Zn(2+) ion in (TMC)Fe(III) -(O2 )-Zn(CF3 SO3 )2 (1-Zn(2+) ) decreases the Lewis acidity of the Zn(2+) ion, resulting in the decrease of the one-electron oxidation and reduction potentials of 1-Zn(2+) . This further changes the reactivities of 1-Zn(2+) in oxidation and reduction reactions; no reaction occurred upon addition of an oxidant (e.g., cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN)) to 1-Zn(2+) , whereas 1-Zn(2+) coordinating two water molecules, (TMC)Fe(III) -(O2 )-Zn(CF3 SO3 )2 -(OH2 )2 [1-Zn(2+) -(OH2 )2 ], releases the O2 unit in the oxidation reaction. In the reduction reactions, 1-Zn(2+) was converted to its corresponding iron(IV)-oxo species upon addition of a reductant (e.g., a ferrocene derivative), whereas such a reaction occurred at a much slower rate in the case of 1-Zn(2+) -(OH2 )2 . The present results provide the first biomimetic example showing that water molecules at the active sites of metalloenzymes may participate in tuning the redox properties of metal-oxygen intermediates.