Oxalate Oxidase Model Studies - Substrate Reactivity

Structural, Spectroscopic, Electrochemical, and Magnetic Properties for Manganese(II) Triazamacrocyclic Complexes

We report the synthesis of [Mn(tacud)2](OTf)2 (1) (tacud = 1,4,8-triazacycloundecane), [Mn(tacd)2](OTf)2 (2) (tacd = 1,4,7-triazacyclodecane), and [Mn(tacn)2](OTf)2 (3) (tacn = 1,4,7-triazacyclononane). Electrochemical measurements on the MnIII/II redox couple show that complex 1 has the largest anodic potential of the set (E 1/2 = 1.16 V vs NHE, ΔE p = 106 mV) compared to 2 (E 1/2 = 0.95 V, ΔE p = 108 mV) and 3 (E 1/2 = 0.93 V, ΔE p = 96 mV). This is due to the fact that 1 has the fewest 5-membered chelate rings and thus is least stabilized. Magnetic studies of 1-3 revealed that all complexes remain high spin throughout the temperature range investigated (2 - 300 K). X-band EPR investigations in methanol glass indicated that the manganese(II) centers for 2 and 3 resided in a more distorted octahedral geometric configuration compared to 1. To ease spectral interpretation and extract ZFS parameters, we performed high-frequency high-field EPR (HFEPR) at frequencies above 200 GHz and a field of 7.5 T. Simulation of the spectral data yielded g = 2.0013 and D = -0.031 cm-1 for 1, g = 2.0008, D = -0.0824 cm-1, |E/D| = 0.12 for 2, and g = 2.00028, D = -0.0884 cm-1 for 3. These results are consistent with 3 possessing the most distorted geometry. Calculations (PBE0/6-31G(d)) were performed on 1-3. Results show that 1 has the largest HOMO-LUMO gap energy (6.37 eV) compared to 2 (6.12 eV) and 3 (6.26 eV). Complex 1 also has the lowest HOMO energies indicating higher stability.

Biological functions controlled by manganese redox changes in mononuclear Mn-dependent enzymes

Remarkably few enzymes are known to employ a mononuclear manganese ion that undergoes changes in redox state during catalysis. Many questions remain to be answered about the role of substrate binding and/or protein environment in modulating the redox properties of enzyme-bound Mn(II), the nature of the dioxygen species involved in the catalytic mechanism, and how these enzymes acquire Mn(II) given that many other metal ions in the cell form more stable protein complexes. Here, we summarize current knowledge concerning the structure and mechanism of five mononuclear manganese-dependent enzymes: superoxide dismutase, oxalate oxidase (OxOx), oxalate decarboxylase (OxDC), homoprotocatechuate 3,4-dioxygenase, and lipoxygenase (LOX). Spectroscopic measurements and/or computational studies suggest that Mn(III)/Mn(II) are the catalytically active oxidation states of the metal, and the importance of 'second-shell' hydrogen bonding interactions with metal ligands has been demonstrated for a number of examples. The ability of these enzymes to modulate the redox properties of the Mn(III)/Mn(II) couple, thereby allowing them to generate substrate-based radicals, appears essential for accessing diverse chemistries of fundamental importance to organisms in all branches of life.

Oxygen activation by mononuclear Mn, Co, and Ni centers in biology and synthetic complexes

The active sites of metalloenzymes that catalyze O₂-dependent reactions generally contain iron or copper ions. However, several enzymes are capable of activating O₂ at manganese or nickel centers instead, and a handful of dioxygenases exhibit activity when substituted with cobalt. This minireview summarizes the catalytic properties of oxygenases and oxidases with mononuclear Mn, Co, or Ni active sites, including oxalate-degrading oxidases, catechol dioxygenases, and quercetin dioxygenase. In addition, recent developments in the O₂ reactivity of synthetic Mn, Co, or Ni complexes are described, with an emphasis on the nature of reactive intermediates featuring superoxo-, peroxo-, or oxo-ligands. Collectively, the biochemical and synthetic studies discussed herein reveal the possibilities and limitations of O₂ activation at these three "overlooked" metals.

Formation, Characterization, and O-O Bond Activation of a Peroxomanganese(III) Complex Supported by a Cross-Clamped Cyclam Ligand

Although there have been reports describing the nucleophilic reactivity of peroxomanganese(III) intermediates, as well as their conversion to high-valent oxo-bridged dimers, it remains a challenge to activate peroxomanganese(III) species for conversion to high-valent, mononuclear manganese complexes. Herein, we report the generation, characterization, and activation of a peroxomanganese(III) adduct supported by the cross-clamped, macrocyclic Me2EBC ligand (4,11-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazabicyclo[6.6.2]hexadecane). This ligand is known to support high-valent, mononuclear Mn(IV) species with well-defined spectroscopic properties, which provides an opportunity to identify mononuclear Mn(IV) products from O-O bond activation of the corresponding Mn(III)-peroxo adduct. The peroxomanganese(III) intermediate, [Mn(III)(O2)(Me2EBC)](+), was prepared at low-temperature by the addition of KO2 to [Mn(II)(Cl)2(Me2EBC)] in CH2Cl2, and this complex was characterized by electronic absorption, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and Mn K-edge X-ray absorption (XAS) spectroscopies. The electronic structure of the [Mn(III)(O2)(Me2EBC)](+) intermediate was examined by density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent (TD) DFT calculations. Detailed spectroscopic investigations of the decay products of [Mn(III)(O2)(Me2EBC)](+) revealed the presence of mononuclear Mn(III)-hydroxo species or a mixture of mononuclear Mn(IV) and Mn(III)-hydroxo species. The nature of the observed decay products depended on the amount of KO2 used to generate [Mn(III)(O2)(Me2EBC)](+). The Mn(III)-hydroxo product was characterized by Mn K-edge XAS, and shifts in the pre-edge transition energies and intensities relative to [Mn(III)(O2)(Me2EBC)](+) provide a marker for differences in covalency between peroxo and nonperoxo ligands. To the best of our knowledge, this work represents the first observation of a mononuclear Mn(IV) center upon decay of a nonporphyrinoid Mn(III)-peroxo center.

A Practical Route for the Preparation of 1,4,7-Triazacyclononanyl Diacetates with a Hydroxypyridinonate Pendant Arm

The preparation of triazamacrocyclic hydroxypyridinonate (HOPO-TACN) derivatives as potential chelators for metals in biomedical applications was reported. The synthesis is based on a convergent synthetic approach, in which the key intermediate di-tert-butyl-2,2′-(1,4,7-triazonane-1,4-diyl) diacetate was coupled with a hydroxypyridinonate pendant arm. The method is suitable for rapid syntheses of metal chelator HOPO-TACNs of biomedical interest.