Rational Design of Bioinspired Catalysts for Selective Oxidations

Spectroscopic Properties and Reactivity of a MnIII-Hydroperoxo Complex that is Stable at Room Temperature

Manganese catalysts that activate hydrogen peroxide have seen increased use in organic transformations, such as olefin epoxidation and alkane C-H bond oxidation. Proposed mechanisms for these catalysts involve the formation and activation of MnIII-hydroperoxo intermediates. Examples of well-defined MnIII-hydroperoxo complexes are rare, and the properties of these species are often inferred from MnIII-alkylperoxo analogues. In this study, we show that the reaction of the MnIII-hydroxo complex [MnIII(OH)(6Medpaq)]+ (1) with hydrogen peroxide and acid results in the formation of a dark-green MnIII-hydroperoxo species [MnIII(OOH)(6Medpaq)]+ (2). The formulation of 2 is based on electronic absorption, 1H NMR, IR, and ESI-MS data. The thermal decay of 2 follows a first order process, and variable-temperature kinetic studies of the decay of 2 yielded activation parameters that could be compared with those of a MnIII-alkylperoxo analogue. Complex 2 reacts with the hydrogen-atom donor TEMPOH two-fold faster than the MnIII-hydroxo complex 1. Complex 2 also oxidizes PPh3, and this MnIII-hydroperoxo species is 600-fold more reactive with this substrate than its MnIII-alkylperoxo analogue [MnIII(OOtBu)(6Medpaq)]+. DFT and time-dependent (TD) DFT computations are used to compare the electronic structure of 2 with similar MnIII-hydroperoxo and MnIII-alkylperoxo complexes.

A Cytochrome P450 TxtE Model System with Mechanistic and Theoretical Evidence for a Heme Peroxynitrite Active Species

The cytochrome P450 homolog, TxtE, efficiently catalyzes the direct and regioselective aromatic nitration of the indolyl moiety of L-tryptophan to 4-nitro-L-tryptophan, using nitric oxide (NO) and dioxygen (O2) as co-substrates. Pathways for such direct and selective nitration of heteroaromatic motifs present platforms for engineering new nitration biocatalysts for pharmacologically beneficial targets, among a medley of other pivotal industrial applications. Precise mechanistic details concerning this pathway are only weakly understood, albeit a heme iron(III)-peroxynitrite active species has been postulated. To shed light on this unique reaction landscape, we investigated the indole nitration pathway of a series of biomimetic ferric heme superoxide mimics, [(Por)FeIII(O2 -⋅)], in the presence of NO. Therein, our model systems gave rise to three distinct nitroindole products, including 4-nitroindole, the product analogous to that obtained with TxtE. Moreover, 15N and 18O isotope labeling studies, along with meticulously designed control experiments lend credence to a heme peroxynitrite active nitrating agent, drawing close similarities to the tryptophan nitration mechanism of TxtE. All organic and inorganic reaction components have been fully characterized using spectroscopic methods. Theoretical investigation into several mechanistic possibilities deem a unique indolyl radical based reaction pathway as the most energetically favorable, products of which, are in excellent agreement with experimental findings.

Basicity of MnIII-Hydroxo Complexes Controls the Thermodynamics of Proton-Coupled Electron Transfer Reactions

Several manganese-dependent enzymes utilize MnIII-hydroxo units in concerted proton-electron transfer (CPET) reactions. We recently demonstrated that hydrogen bonding to the hydroxo ligand in the synthetic [MnIII(OH)(PaPy2N)]+ complex increased rates of CPET reactions compared to the [MnIII(OH)(PaPy2Q)]+ complex that lacks a hydrogen bond. In this work, we determine the effect of hydrogen bonding on the basicity of the hydroxo ligand and evaluate the corresponding effect on CPET reactions. Both [MnIII(OH)(PaPy2Q)]+ and [MnIII(OH)(PaPy2N)]+ react with strong acids to yield MnIII-aqua complexes [MnIII(OH2)(PaPy2Q)]2+ and [MnIII(OH2)(PaPy2N)]2+, for which we determined pKa values of 7.6 and 13.1, respectively. Reactions of the MnIII-aqua complexes with one-electron reductants yielded estimates of reduction potentials, which were combined with pKa values to give O-H bond dissociation free energies (BDFEs) of 77 and 85 kcal mol-1 for the MnII-aqua complexes [MnII(OH2)(PaPy2Q)]+ and [MnII(OH2)(PaPy2N)]+. Using these BDFEs, we performed an analysis of the thermodynamic driving force for phenol oxidation by these complexes and observed the unexpected result that slower rates are associated with more asynchronous CPET. In addition, reactions of acidic phenols with the MnIII-hydroxo complexes show rates that deviate from the thermodynamic trends, consistent with a change in mechanism from CPET to proton transfer.

La1-xSrxFeO3-δ Perovskite Oxide Nanoparticles for Low-Temperature Aerobic Oxidation of Isobutane to tert-Butyl Alcohol

The development of reusable solid catalysts based on naturally abundant metal elements for the liquid-phase selective oxidation of light alkanes under mild conditions to obtain desired oxygenated products, such as alcohols and carbonyl compounds, remains a challenge. In this study, various perovskite oxide nanoparticles were synthesized by a sol-gel method using aspartic acid, and the effects of A- and B-site metal cations on the liquid-phase oxidation of isobutane to tert-butyl alcohol with molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant were investigated. Iron-based perovskite oxides containing Fe4+ such as BaFeO3-δ, SrFeO3-δ, and La1-xSrxFeO3-δ exhibited catalytic performance superior to those of other Fe3+- and Fe2+-based iron oxides and Mn-, Ni-, and Co-based perovskite oxides. The partial substitution of Sr for La in LaFeO3 significantly enhanced the catalytic performance and durability. In particular, the La0.8Sr0.2FeO3-δ catalyst could be recovered by simple filtration and reused several times without an obvious loss of its high catalytic performance, whereas the recovered BaFeO3-δ and SrFeO3-δ catalysts were almost inactive. La0.8Sr0.2FeO3-δ promoted the selective oxidation of isobutane even under mild conditions (60 °C), and the catalytic activity was comparable to that of homogeneous systems, including halogenated metalloporphyrin complexes. On the basis of mechanistic studies, including the effect of Sr substitution in La1-xSrxFeO3-δ on surface redox reactions, the present oxidation proceeds via a radical-mediated oxidation mechanism, and the surface-mixed Fe3+/Fe4+ valence states of La1-xSrxFeO3-δ nanoparticles likely play an important role in promoting C-H activation of isobutane as well as decomposition of tert-butyl hydroperoxide.

cis-Dihydroxylation by Synthetic Iron(III)-Peroxo Intermediates and Rieske Dioxygenases: Experimental and Theoretical Approaches Reveal the Key O-O Bond Activation Step

Dioxygen (O2) activation by iron-containing enzymes and biomimetic compounds generates iron-oxygen intermediates, such as iron-superoxo, -peroxo, -hydroperoxo, and -oxo, that mediate oxidative reactions in biological and abiological systems. Among the iron-oxygen intermediates, iron(III)-peroxo species are less frequently implicated as active intermediates in oxidation reactions. In this study, we present the combined experimental and theoretical investigations on cis-dihydroxylation reactions mediated by synthetic mononuclear nonheme iron-peroxo intermediates, demonstrating the importance of supporting ligands and metal centers in activating the peroxo ligand toward the O-O bond homolysis for the cis-dihydroxylation reactions. We found a significant ring size effect of the TMC ligand in [FeIII(O2)(n-TMC)]+ (TMC = tetramethylated tetraazacycloalkane; n = 12, 13, and 14) on the cis-dihydroxylation reactivity order: [FeIII(O2)(12-TMC)]+ > [FeIII(O2)(13-TMC)]+ > [FeIII(O2)(14-TMC)]+. Additionally, we found that only [FeIII(O2)(n-TMC)]+, but not other metal-peroxo complexes such as [MIII(O2)(n-TMC)]+ (M = Mn, Co, and Ni), is reactive for the cis-dihydroxylation of olefins. Using density functional theory (DFT) calculations, we revealed that electron transfer from the Fe dxz orbital to the peroxo σ*(O-O) orbital facilitates the O-O bond homolysis, with the O-O bond cleavage barrier well correlated with the energy gap between the frontier molecular orbitals of dxz and σ*(O-O). Further computational studies showed that the reactivity of the synthetic [FeIII(O2)(12-TMC)]+ complex is comparable to that of Rieske dioxygenases in cis-dihydroxylation, providing compelling evidence of the potential involvement of Fe(III)-peroxo species in Rieske dioxygenases. Thus, the present results significantly advance our understanding of the cis-dihydroxylation mechanisms by Rieske dioxygenases and synthetic nonheme iron-peroxo models.

Intramolecular C-H Oxidation in Iron(V)-oxo-carboxylato Species Relevant in the γ-Lactonization of Alkyl Carboxylic Acids

High-valent oxoiron species have been invoked as oxidizing agents in a variety of iron-dependent oxygenases. Taking inspiration from nature, selected nonheme iron complexes have been developed as catalysts to elicit C-H oxidation through the mediation of putative oxoiron(V) species, akin to those proposed for Rieske oxygenases. The addition of carboxylic acids in these iron-catalyzed C-H oxidations has proved highly beneficial in terms of product yields and selectivities, suggesting the direct involvement of iron(V)-oxo-carboxylato species. When the carboxylic acid functionality is present in the alkane substrate, it acts as a directing group, enabling the selective intramolecular γ-C-H hydroxylation that eventually affords γ-lactones. While this mechanistic frame is solidly supported by previous mechanistic studies, direct spectroscopic detection of the key iron(V)-oxo-carboxylato intermediate and its competence for engaging in the selective γ-C-H oxidation leading to lactonization have not been accomplished. In this work, we generate a series of well-defined iron(V)-oxo-carboxylato species (2c-2f) differing in the nature of the bound carboxylate ligand. Species 2c-2f are characterized by a set of spectroscopic techniques, including UV-vis spectroscopy, cold-spray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS), and, in selected cases, EPR and Mössbauer spectroscopies. We demonstrate that 2c-2f undergo site-selective γ-lactonization of the carboxylate ligand in a stereoretentive manner, thus unequivocally identifying metal-oxo-carboxylato species as the powerful yet selective C-H cleaving species in catalytic γ-lactonization reactions of carboxylic acids. Reactivity experiments confirm that the intramolecular formation of γ-lactones is in competition with the intermolecular oxidation of external alkanes and olefins. Finally, mechanistic studies, together with DFT calculations, support a mechanism involving a site-selective C-H cleavage in the γ-position of the carboxylate ligand by the oxo moiety, followed by a fast carboxylate rebound, eventually leading to the selective formation of γ-lactones.

Periodic Trends and Fluxionality Effects on Transition Metal Catalyzed Sulfoxidation

Despite the extended interest in d0 metal complexes as catalysts for peroxide activation and eventual oxygen transfer processes, there are still gaps in the understanding of how they proceed at the microscopic level. Herein, we have considered sulfide oxidation with cumyl hydroperoxide as a test system, performing the reaction with a series of eight different aminotriphenolate d0 metal complexes: Ti(IV), Zr(IV), Hf(IV), V(V), Nb(V), Ta(V), Mo(VI), and W(VI). The reactivity and selectivity of the catalytic systems, as well as the effect of a strong Lewis base (dimethylhexyl-N-oxide), have been determined experimentally, correlating kinetic values with Sanderson electronegativity values. Theoretical calculations of the catalytic cycles have been performed to have a clearer description of the role of the reactive peroxo species. Combining experimental results and DFT predictions, we propose suitable mechanisms for all eight metal aminotriphenolates, rationalizing the expected periodic trends, while also unveiling the unique reaction pathways available to highly flexible vanadium complexes.

Supramolecular Modulation for Selective Mechanochemical Iron-Catalyzed Olefin Oxidation

The development of a mechanochemical Fe-catalyzed Wacker oxidation of olefins with a sustainable and benign procedure holds significant promise for industrial applications. However, navigating the intricate interactions inherent in ball-milling conditions to fine-tune reaction selectivity remains a formidable challenge. Herein, leveraging the dispersive and/or trapping properties of cyclodextrins, an innovative mechanochemical approach is developed through the integration of cyclodextrins into a Fe-catalyzed system, enabling a streamlined Wacker oxidation process from simple and/or commercially available alkenes. Our efforts have yielded optimized mechanochemical conditions demonstrating exceptional reactivity and selectivity in generating a diverse array of ketone products, markedly enhancing catalytic efficiency compared to conventional batch methods. Mechanistic investigations have revealed a predominantly Markovnikov-selective catalytic cycle, effectively minimizing undesired alcohol formation, hydrogenation, and the other competing pathways, boosting both reaction yield and selectivity.

A dinuclear nickel peroxycarbonate complex: CO2 addition promotes H2O2 release

Nickel coordination compounds featuring Ni-O bonds are key structural motifs in both bioinorganic and synthetic chemistries. They serve as precursors for organic substrate oxidation and are commonly invoked intermediates in water oxidation and oxygen reduction schemes. Herein, we disclose a series of well-defined dinuclear nickel complexes that, upon treatment with CO2 and H2O2, afford the first nickel-bound peroxycarbonate. This unprecedented nickel-oxygen intermediate is stabilized by hydrogen bonding templated across the bimetallic core. Contrasting copper and iron analogues, the nickel peroxycarbonate reversibly dissociates H2O2, a process that is shown to be accelerated by exogenous CO2.

A synthetically useful catalytic system for aliphatic C-H oxidation with a nonheme cobalt complex and m-CPBA

We report herein a synthetically useful catalytic system for aliphatic C-H oxidation with a mononuclear nonheme cobalt(II) complex and m-chloroperbenzoic acid (m-CPBA). Preliminary mechanistic studies suggest that a high-valent cobalt-oxygen species (e.g., cobalt(IV)-oxo or cobalt(III)-oxyl) is the oxidant that effects C-H oxidation via a rate-determining hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) step.

tert-Butyl as a Functional Group: Non-Directed Catalytic Hydroxylation of Sterically Congested Primary C-H Bonds

The tert-butyl group is a common aliphatic motif extensively employed to implement steric congestion and conformational rigidity in organic and organometallic molecules. Because of the combination of a high bond dissociation energy (~100 kcal mol-1) and limited accessibility, in the absence of directing groups, neither radical nor organometallic approaches are effective for the chemical modification of tert-butyl C-H bonds. Herein we overcome these limits by employing a highly electrophilic manganese catalyst, [Mn(CF3bpeb)(OTf)2], that operates in the strong hydrogen bond donor solvent nonafluoro-tert-butyl alcohol (NFTBA) and catalytically activates hydrogen peroxide to generate a powerful manganese-oxo species that effectively oxidizes tert-butyl C-H bonds. Leveraging on the interplay of steric, electronic, medium and torsional effects, site-selective and product chemoselective hydroxylation of the tert-butyl group is accomplished with broad reaction scope, delivering primary alcohols as largely dominant products in preparative yields. Late-stage hydroxylation at tert-butyl sites is demonstrated on 6 densely functionalized molecules of pharmaceutical interest. This work uncovers a novel disconnection approach, harnessing tert-butyl as a potential functional group in strategic synthetic planning for complex molecular architectures.

Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity of Bispidine-Iron(IV)-Tosylimido Species

Reported are the synthesis and detailed studies of the iron(IV)-tosylimido complexes of two isomeric pentadentate bispidine ligands (bispidines are 3,7-diazabicyclo[3.3.1]nonane derivatives). This completes a series of five tosylimido complexes with comparable pentadentate amine/pyridine ligands, where the corresponding [(L)FeIV═O]2+ oxidants have been studied in detail. The characterization of the two new complexes in solution (UV-vis-NIR, Mössbauer, HR-ESI-MS) shows that these oxidants have an intermediate spin (S = 1) electronic ground state. The reactivities have been studied as oxidants in C-H activation at 1,3-cyclohexadiene and nitrogen atom transfer to thioanisole. For the latter substrate, the entire set of data for the five ligands and for both nitrogen and oxygen atom transfer is now available and the interesting observation is that oxygen atom transfer is, as expected, generally faster than nitrogen atom transfer, with the exception of the two ligands that have four and three pyridine groups oriented parallel to the Fe-O and Fe-N axes. A thorough DFT analysis indicates that this is due to steric effects in the case of the [(L)FeIV═O]2+ species, which are less important in the [(L)FeIV═NTs]2+ compounds due to partial electron transfer from the thioanisole substrate to the iron(IV)-tosylimido oxidant.

Co(II)-N4 Catalysts for the Coupling of CO2 with Epoxides into Cyclic Carbonates: Catalytic Activity, Computational and Kinetic Studies

In this study, we synthesized and characterized a series of cobalt(II) complexes bearing linear tetradentate N4 ligands. These Co(II)-N4 complexes proved to be efficient catalysts for the cycloaddition reaction between carbon dioxide and epoxides even at room temperature and 1 bar pressure of carbon dioxide without the need for solvents or cocatalysts. Furthermore, when combined with (triphenylphosphoranylidene)ammonium chloride (PPNCl) as a cocatalyst, the Co-N4 catalysts exhibited an impressive turnover frequency of up to 41,000 h-1 for coupling of epichlorohydrin/CO2. These Co(II)-N4 catalysts were found to have excellent stability and reusability, retaining their catalytic activity after they were recycled seven times. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations provided a comprehensive mechanism for the cycloaddition reaction, indicating that the rate-determining step is the epoxide ring opening, in both the presence and absence of PPNCl. Further kinetic studies allow us to determine the activation parameters (ΔH‡, ΔS‡, and ΔG‡ at 25 °C) of the coupling reaction using the Eyring equation. The Gibbs free activation energy obtained from the kinetic studies was in close agreement with that of the DFT calculations. The substituent effect on the cycloaddition reaction of CO2 with various substituted styrene oxides was also examined for the first time.

C-H Bond Oxidation by MnIV-Oxo Complexes: Hydrogen-Atom Tunneling and Multistate Reactivity

The reactivity of six MnIV-oxo complexes in C-H bond oxidation has been examined using a combination of kinetic experiments and computational methods. Variable-temperature studies of the oxidation of 9,10-dihydroanthracene (DHA) and ethylbenzene by these MnIV-oxo complexes yielded activation parameters suitable for evaluating electronic structure computations. Complementary kinetic experiments of the oxidation of deuterated DHA provided evidence for hydrogen-atom tunneling in C-H bond oxidation for all MnIV-oxo complexes. These results are in accordance with the Bell model, where tunneling occurs near the top of the transition-state barrier. Density functional theory (DFT) and DLPNO-CCSD(T1) computations were performed for three of the six MnIV-oxo complexes to probe a previously predicted multistate reactivity model. The DFT computations predicted a thermal crossing from the 4B1 ground state to a 4E state along the C-H bond oxidation reaction coordinate. DLPNO-CCSD(T1) calculations further confirm that the 4E transition state offers a lower energy barrier, reinforcing the multistate reactivity model for these complexes. We discuss how this multistate model can be reconciled with recent computations that revealed that the kinetics of C-H bond oxidation by this set of MnIV-oxo complexes can be well-predicted on the basis of the thermodynamic driving force for these reactions.

Investigating Ligand Sphere Perturbations on MnIII-Alkylperoxo Complexes

Manganese catalysts that activate hydrogen peroxide carry out several different hydrocarbon oxidation reactions with high stereoselectivity. The commonly proposed mechanism for these reactions involves a key manganese(III)-hydroperoxo intermediate, which decays via O-O bond heterolysis to generate a Mn(V)-oxo species that institutes substrate oxidation. Due to the scarcity of characterized MnIII-hydroperoxo complexes, MnIII-alkylperoxo complexes are employed to understand factors that affect the mechanism of the O-O cleavage. Herein, we report a series of novel complexes, including two room-temperature-stable MnIII-alkylperoxo species, supported by a new amide-containing pentadentate ligand (6Medpaq5NO2). We use a combination of spectroscopic methods and density functional theory computations to probe the effects of the electronic changes in the ligand sphere trans to the hydroxo and alkylperoxo units to thermal stability and reactivity. The structural characterizations for both MnII(OTf)(6Medpaq5NO2) and [MnIII(OH)(6Medpaq5NO2)](OTf) were obtained via single-crystal X-ray crystallography. A perturbation to the ligand sphere allowed for a marked increase in reactivity towards an organic substrate, a modest change in the distribution of the O-O cleavage products from homolytic and heterolytic pathways, and little change in thermal stability.

Enhanced Reactivity through Equatorial Sulfur Coordination in Nonheme Iron(IV)-Oxo Complexes: Insights from Experiment and Theory

Sulfur ligation in metalloenzymes often gives the active site unique properties, whether it is the axial cysteinate ligand in the cytochrome P450s or the equatorial sulfur/thiol ligation in nonheme iron enzymes. To understand sulfur ligation to iron complexes and how it affects the structural, spectroscopic, and intrinsic properties of the active species and the catalysis of substrates, we pursued a systematic study and compared sulfur with amine-ligated iron(IV)-oxo complexes. We synthesized and characterized a biomimetic N4S-ligated iron(IV)-oxo complex and compared the obtained results with an analogous N5-ligated iron(IV)-oxo complex. Our work shows that the amine for sulfur replacement in the equatorial ligand framework leads to a rate enhancement for oxygen atom and hydrogen atom transfer reactions. Moreover, the sulfur-ligated iron(IV)-oxo complex reacts through a different reaction mechanism as compared to the N5-ligated iron(IV)-oxo complex, where the former reacts through hydride transfer with the latter reacting via radical pathways. We show that the reactivity differences are caused by a dramatic change in redox potential between the two complexes. Our studies highlight the importance of implementing a sulfur ligand into the equatorial ligand framework of nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes and how it affects the physicochemical properties of the oxidant and its reactivity.

Catalyst and Medium Control over Rebound Pathways in Manganese-Catalyzed Methylenic C-H Bond Oxidation

The C(sp3)-H bond oxygenation of a variety of cyclopropane containing hydrocarbons with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by manganese complexes containing aminopyridine tetradentate ligands was carried out. Oxidations were performed in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoro-2-propanol (HFIP) and 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol (TFE) using different manganese catalysts and carboxylic acid co-ligands, where steric and electronic properties were systematically modified. Functionalization selectively occurs at the most activated C-H bonds that are α- to cyclopropane, providing access to carboxylate or 2,2,2-trifluoroethanolate transfer products, with no competition, in favorable cases, from the generally dominant hydroxylation reaction. The formation of mixtures of unrearranged and rearranged esters (oxidation in HFIP in the presence of a carboxylic acid) and ethers (oxidation in TFE) with full control over diastereoselectivity was observed, confirming the involvement of delocalized cationic intermediates in these transformations. Despite such a complex mechanistic scenario, by fine-tuning of catalyst and carboxylic acid sterics and electronics and leveraging on the relative contribution of cationic pathways to the reaction mechanism, control over product chemoselectivity could be systematically achieved. Taken together, the results reported herein provide powerful catalytic tools to rationally manipulate ligand transfer pathways in C-H oxidations of cyclopropane containing hydrocarbons, delivering novel products in good yields and, in some cases, outstanding selectivities, expanding the available toolbox for the development of synthetically useful C-H functionalization procedures.

Electronic Structure and Reactivity of Mononuclear Nonheme Iron-Peroxo Complexes as a Biomimetic Model of Rieske Oxygenases: Ring Size Effects of Macrocyclic Ligands

We report the macrocyclic ring size-electronic structure-electrophilic reactivity correlation of mononuclear nonheme iron(III)-peroxo complexes bearing N-tetramethylated cyclam analogues (n-TMC), [FeIII(O2)(12-TMC)]+ (1), [FeIII(O2)(13-TMC)]+ (2), and [FeIII(O2)(14-TMC)]+ (3), as a model study of Rieske oxygenases. The Fe(III)-peroxo complexes show the same δ and pseudo-σ bonds between iron and the peroxo ligand. However, the strength of these interactions varies depending on the ring size of the n-TMC ligands; the overall Fe-O bond strength and the strength of the Fe-O2 δ bond increase gradually as the ring size of the n-TMC ligands becomes smaller, such as from 14-TMC to 13-TMC to 12-TMC. MCD spectroscopy plays a key role in assigning the characteristic low-energy δ → δ* LMCT band, which provides direct insight into the strength of the Fe-O2 δ bond and which, in turn, is correlated with the superoxo character of the iron-peroxo group. In oxidation reactions, reactivities of 1-3 toward hydrocarbon C-H bond activation are compared, revealing the reactivity order of 1 > 2 > 3; the [FeIII(O2)(n-TMC)]+ complex with a smaller n-TMC ring size, 12-TMC, is much more reactive than that with a larger n-TMC ring size, 14-TMC. DFT analysis shows that the Fe(III)-peroxo complex is not reactive toward C-H bonds, but it is the end-on Fe(II)-superoxo valence tautomer that is responsible for the observed reactivity. The hydrogen atom abstraction (HAA) reactivity of these intermediates is correlated with the overall donicity of the n-TMC ligand, which modulates the energy of the singly occupied π* superoxo frontier orbital that serves as the electron acceptor in the HAA reaction. The implications of these results for the mechanism of Rieske oxygenases are further discussed.

Enantioselective Intermolecular C-H Functionalization of Primary Benzylic C-H Bonds Using ((Aryl)(diazo)methyl)phosphonates

Catalyst-controlled C-H functionalization using donor/acceptor carbenes has been shown to be an efficient process capable of high levels of site control and stereocontrol. This study demonstrated that the scope of the donor/acceptor carbene C-H functionalization can be extended to systems where the acceptor group is a phosphonate. When using the optimized dirhodium catalyst, Rh2(S-di-(4-Br)TPPTTL)4, ((aryl)(diazo)methyl)phosphonates undergo highly enantioselective (84-99% ee) and site-selective (>30:1 r.r.) benzylic C-H functionalization. The phosphonate group is much more sterically demanding than the previously studied carboxylate ester group, leading to much higher selectivity for a primary site versus more sterically crowded positions. The effectiveness of this methodology has been demonstrated by the late-stage primary C-H functionalization of estrone, adapalene, (S)-naproxen, clofibrate, and gemfibrozil derivatives.

Pentanuclear iron complex for water oxidation: spectroscopic analysis of reactive intermediates in solution and catalyst immobilization into the MOF-based photoanode

Photoelectrochemical water splitting can produce green hydrogen for industrial use and CO2-neutral transportation, ensuring the transition from fossil fuels to green, renewable energy sources. The iron-based electrocatalyst [FeII4FeIII(μ-3-O)(μ-L)6]3+ (LH = 3,5-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazole) (1), discovered in 2016, is one of the fastest molecular water oxidation catalysts (WOC) based on earth-abundant elements. However, its water oxidation reaction mechanism has not been yet fully elucidated. Here, we present in situ X-ray spectroscopy and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis of electrochemical water oxidation reaction (WOR) promoted by (1) in water-acetonitrile solution. We observed transient reactive intermediates during the in situ electrochemical WOR, consistent with a coordination sphere expansion prior to the onset of catalytic current. At a pre-catalytic (~+1.1 V vs. Ag/AgCl) potential, the distinct g~2.0 EPR signal assigned to FeIII/FeIV interaction was observed. Prolonged bulk electrolysis at catalytic (~+1.6 V vs. Ag/AgCl) potential leads to the further oxidation of Fe centers in (1). At the steady state achieved with such electrolysis, the formation of hypervalent FeV=O and FeIV=O catalytic intermediates was inferred with XANES and EXAFS fitting, detecting a short Fe=O bond at ~1.6 Å. (1) was embedded into MIL-126 MOF with the formation of (1)-MIL-126 composite. The latter was tested in photoelectrochemical WOR and demonstrated an improvement of electrocatalytic current upon visible light irradiation in acidic (pH=2) water solution. The presented spectroscopic analysis gives further insight into the catalytic pathways of multinuclear systems and should help the subsequent development of more energy- and cost-effective catalysts of water splitting based on earth-abundant metals. Photoelectrocatalytic activity of (1)-MIL-126 confirms the possibility of creating an assembly of (1) inside a solid support and boosting it with solar irradiation towards industrial applications of the catalyst.

Mononuclear Non-Heme Manganese-Catalyzed Enantioselective cis-Dihydroxylation of Alkenes Modeling Rieske Dioxygenases

The practical catalytic enantioselective cis-dihydroxylation of olefins that utilize earth-abundant first-row transition metal catalysts under environmentally friendly conditions is an important yet challenging task. Inspired by the cis-dihydroxylation reactions catalyzed by Rieske dioxygenases and non-heme iron models, we report the biologically inspired cis-dihydroxylation catalysis that employs an inexpensive and readily available mononuclear non-heme manganese complex bearing a tetradentate nitrogen-donor ligand and aqueous hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and potassium peroxymonosulfate (KHSO5) as terminal oxidants. A wide range of olefins are efficiently oxidized to enantioenriched cis-diols in practically useful yields with excellent cis-dihydroxylation selectivity and enantioselectivity (up to 99% ee). Mechanistic studies, such as isotopically 18O-labeled water experiments, and density functional theory (DFT) calculations support that a manganese(V)-oxo-hydroxo (HO-MnV═O) species, which is formed via the water-assisted heterolytic O-O bond cleavage of putative manganese(III)-hydroperoxide and manganese(III)-peroxysulfate precursors, is the active oxidant that effects the cis-dihydroxylation of olefins; this is reminiscent of the frequently postulated iron(V)-oxo-hydroxo (HO-FeV═O) species in the catalytic arene and alkene cis-dihydroxylation reactions by Rieske dioxygenases and synthetic non-heme iron models. Further, DFT calculations for the mechanism of the HO-MnV═O-mediated enantioselective cis-dihydroxylation of olefins reveal that the first oxo attack step controls the enantioselectivity, which exhibits a high preference for cis-dihydroxylation over epoxidation. In this study, we are able to replicate both the catalytic function and the key chemical principles of Rieske dioxygenases in mononuclear non-heme manganese-catalyzed enantioselective cis-dihydroxylation of olefins.

Bioinspired Non-Heme Mn Catalysts for Regio- and Stereoselective Oxyfunctionalizations with H2 O2

In recent years, metalloenzymes-mediated highly selective oxidations of organic substrates under mild conditions have been inspiration for developing synthetic bioinspired catalyst systems, capable of conducting such processes in the laboratory (and, in the future, in industry), relying on easy-to-handle and environmentally benign oxidants such as H2 O2 . To date, non-heme manganese complexes with chiral bis-amino-bis-pyridylmethyl and structurally related ligands are considered as possessing the highest synthetic potential, having demonstrated the ability to mediate a variety of chemo- and stereoselective oxidative transformations, such as epoxidations, C(sp3 )-H hydroxylations and ketonizations, oxidative desymmetrizations, kinetic resolutions, etc. Furthermore, in the past few years non-heme Mn based catalysts have become the major platform for studies focused on getting insight into the molecular mechanisms of oxidant activation and (stereo)selective oxygen transfer, testing non-traditional hydroperoxide oxidants, engineering catalytic sites with enzyme-like substrate recognition-based selectivity, exploration of catalytic regioselectivity trends in the oxidation of biologically active substrates of natural origin. This contribution summarizes the progress in manganese catalyzed C-H oxygenative transformations of organic substrates, achieved essentially in the past 5 years (late 2018-2023).

Radical and Cationic Pathways in C(sp3)-H Bond Oxygenation by Dioxiranes of Bicyclic and Spirocyclic Hydrocarbons Bearing Cyclopropane Moieties

A product and DFT computational study on the reactions of 3-ethyl-3-(trifluoromethyl)dioxirane (ETFDO) with bicyclic and spirocyclic hydrocarbons bearing cyclopropyl groups was carried out. With bicyclo[n.1.0]alkanes (n = 3-6), diastereoselective formation of the alcohol product derived from C2-H bond hydroxylation was observed, accompanied by smaller amounts of products derived from oxygenation at other sites. With 1-methylbicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, rearranged products were also observed in addition to the unrearranged products deriving from oxygenation at the most activated C2-H and C5-H bonds. With spiro[2.5]octane and 6-tert-butylspiro[2.5]octane, reaction with ETFDO occurred predominantly or exclusively at the axial C4-H to give unrearranged oxygenation products, accompanied by smaller amounts of rearranged bicyclo[4.2.0]octan-1-ols. The good to outstanding site-selectivities and diastereoselectivities are paralleled by the calculated activation free energies for the corresponding reaction pathways. Computations show that the σ* orbitals of the bicyclo[n.1.0]alkane cis or trans C2-H bonds and spiro[2.5]octanes axial C4-H bond hyperconjugatively interact with the Walsh orbitals of the cyclopropane ring, activating these bonds toward HAT to ETFDO. The detection of rearranged oxygenation products in the oxidation of 1-methylbicyclo[4.1.0]heptane, spiro[2.5]octane, and 6-tert-butylspiro[2.5]octane provides unambiguous evidence for the involvement of cationic intermediates in these reactions, representing the first examples on the operation of ET pathways in dioxirane-mediated C(sp3)-H bond oxygenations. Computations support these findings, showing that formation of cationic intermediates is associated with specific stabilizing hyperconjugative interactions between the incipient carbon radical and the cyclopropane C-C bonding orbitals that trigger ET to the incipient dioxirane derived 1,1,1-trifluoro-2-hydroxy-2-butoxyl radical.

Development of Catalytic Site-Selective C-H Oxidation

Direct C-H bond oxygenation is a strong and useful tool for the construction of oxygen functional groups. After Chen and White's pioneering works, various non-heme-type iron and manganese complexes were introduced, leading to strong development in this area. However, for this method to become a truly useful tool for synthetic organic chemistry, it is necessary to make further efforts to improve site-selectivity, and catalyst durability. Recently, we found that non-heme-type ruthenium complex cis-1 presents efficient catalysis in C(sp3 )-H oxygenation under acidic conditions. cis-1-catalysed C-H oxygenation can oxidize various substrates including highly complex natural compounds using hypervalent iodine reagents as a terminal oxidant. Moreover, the catalyst system can use almost stoichiometric water molecules as the oxygen source through reversible hydrolysis of PhI(OCOR)2 . It is a strong tool for producing isotopic-oxygen-labelled compounds. Moreover, the environmentally friendly hydrogen peroxide can be used as a terminal oxidant under acidic conditions.

Reaction landscape of a mononuclear MnIII-hydroxo complex with hydrogen peroxide

Peroxomanganese species have been proposed as key intermediates in the catalytic cycles of both manganese enzymes and synthetic catalysts. However, many of these intermediates have yet to be observed. Here, we report the formation of a series of intermediates, each generated from the reaction of the mononuclear MnIII-hydroxo complex [MnIII(OH)(dpaq2Me)]+ with hydrogen peroxide under slightly different conditions. By changing the acidity of the reaction mixture and/or the quantity of hydrogen peroxide added, we are able to control which intermediate forms. Using a combination of electronic absorption, 1H NMR, EPR, and X-ray absorption spectroscopies, as well as density functional theory (DFT) and complete active space self-consistent field (CASSCF) calculations, we formulate these intermediates as the bis(μ-oxo)dimanganese(III,IV) complex [MnIIIMnIV(μ-O)2(dpaq2Me)2]+, the MnIII-hydroperoxo complex [MnIII(OOH)(dpaq2Me)]+, and the MnIII-peroxo complex [MnIII(O2)(dpaq2Me)]. The formation of the MnIII-hydroperoxo species from the reaction of a MnIII-hydroxo complex with hydrogen peroxide mimics an elementary reaction proposed for many synthetic manganese catalysts that activate hydrogen peroxide.

Electronic structure contributions to O-O bond cleavage reactions for MnIII-alkylperoxo complexes

Synthetic manganese catalysts that activate hydrogen peroxide perform a variety of hydrocarbon oxidation reactions. The most commonly proposed mechanism for these catalysts involves the generation of a manganese(III)-hydroperoxo intermediate that decays via heterolytic O-O bond cleavage to generate a Mn(V)-oxo species that initiates substrate oxidation. Due to the paucity of well-defined MnIII-hydroperoxo complexes, MnIII-alkylperoxo complexes are often employed to understand the factors that affect the O-O cleavage reaction. Herein, we examine the decay pathways of the MnIII-alkylperoxo complexes [MnIII(OOtBu)(6Medpaq)]+ and [MnIII(OOtBu)(N4S)]+, which have distinct coordination environments (N5- and N4S-, respectively). Through the use of density functional theory (DFT) calculations and comparisons with published experimental data, we are able to rationalize the differences in the decay pathways of these complexes. For the [MnIII(OOtBu)(N4S)]+ system, O-O homolysis proceeds via a two-state mechanism that involves a crossing from the quintet reactant to a triplet state. A high energy singlet state discourages O-O heterolysis for this complex. In contrast, while quintet-triplet crossing is unfavorable for [MnIII(OOtBu)(6Medpaq)]+, a relatively low-energy single state accounts for the observation of both O-O homolysis and heterolysis products for this complex. The origins of these differences in decay pathways are linked to variations in the electronic structures of the MnIII-alkylperoxo complexes.

Mechanism of Nitrogen Reduction to Ammonia in a Diiron Model of Nitrogenase

Nitrogenase is a fascinating enzyme in biology that reduces dinitrogen from air to ammonia through stepwise reduction and protonation. Despite it being studied in detail by experimental and computational groups, there are still many unknown factors in the catalytic cycle of nitrogenase, especially related to the addition of protons and electrons and their order. A recent biomimetic study characterized a potential dinitrogen-bridged diiron cluster as a synthetic model of nitrogenase. Using strong acid and reductants, the dinitrogen was converted into ammonia molecules, but details of the mechanism remains unknown. In particular, it was unclear from the experimental studies whether the proton and electron transfer steps are sequential or alternating. Moreover, the work failed to establish what the function of the diiron core is and whether it split into mononuclear iron fragments during the reaction. To understand the structure and reactivity of the biomimetic dinitrogen-bridged diiron complex [(P2P'PhFeH)2(μ-N2)] with triphenylphosphine ligands, we performed a density functional theory study. Our computational methods were validated against experimental crystal structure coordinates, Mössbauer parameters, and vibrational frequencies and show excellent agreement. Subsequently, we investigated the alternating and consecutive addition of electrons and protons to the system. The calculations identify a number of possible reaction channels, namely, same-site protonation, alternating protonation, and complex dissociation into mononuclear iron centers. The calculations show that the overall mechanism is not a pure sequential set of electron and proton transfers but a mixture of alternating and consecutive steps. In particular, the first reaction steps will start with double proton transfer followed by an electron transfer, while thereafter, there is another proton transfer and a second electron transfer to give a complex whereby ammonia can split off with a low energetic barrier. The second channel starts with alternating protonation of the two nitrogen atoms, whereafter the initial double proton transfer, electrons and protons are added sequentially to form a hydrazine-bound complex. The latter split off ammonia spontaneously after further protonation. The various reaction channels are analyzed with valence bond and orbital diagrams. We anticipate the nitrogenase enzyme to operate with mixed alternating and consecutive protonation and electron transfer steps.

Highly Enantioselective Catalytic Lactonization at Nonactivated Primary and Secondary γ-C-H Bonds

Chiral oxygenated aliphatic moieties are recurrent in biological and pharmaceutically relevant molecules and constitute one of the most versatile types of functionalities for further elaboration. Herein we report a protocol for straightforward and general access to chiral γ-lactones via enantioselective oxidation of strong nonactivated primary and secondary C(sp3)-H bonds in readily available carboxylic acids. The key enabling aspect is the use of robust sterically encumbered manganese catalysts that provide outstanding enantioselectivities (up to >99.9%) and yields (up to 96%) employing hydrogen peroxide as the oxidant. The resulting γ-lactones are of immediate interest for the preparation of inter alia natural products and recyclable polymeric materials.

Site-selective methylene C-H oxidation of an alkyl diamine enabled by supramolecular recognition using a bioinspired manganese catalyst

Site-selective oxidation of aliphatic C-H bonds is a powerful synthetic tool because it enables rapid build-up of product complexity and diversity from simple precursors. Besides the poor reactivity of alkyl C-H bonds, the main challenge in this reaction consists in differentiating between the multiple similar sites present in most organic molecules. Herein, a manganese oxidation catalyst equipped with two 18-benzo-6-crown ether receptors has been employed in the oxidation of the long chain tetradecane-1,14-diamine. 1H-NMR studies evidence simultaneous binding of the two protonated amine moieties to the crown ether receptors. This recognition has been used to pursue site-selective oxidation of a methylenic site, using hydrogen peroxide as oxidant in the presence of carboxylic acids as co-ligands. Excellent site-selectivity towards the central methylenic sites (C6 and C7) is observed, overcoming selectivity parameters derived from polar deactivation by simple amine protonation and selectivity observed in the oxidation of related monoprotonated amines.

C-H Bonds as Functional Groups: Simultaneous Generation of Multiple Stereocenters by Enantioselective Hydroxylation at Unactivated Tertiary C-H Bonds

Enantioselective C-H oxidation is a standing chemical challenge foreseen as a powerful tool to transform readily available organic molecules into precious oxygenated building blocks. Here, we describe a catalytic enantioselective hydroxylation of tertiary C-H bonds in cyclohexane scaffolds with H2O2, an evolved manganese catalyst that provides structural complementary to the substrate similarly to the lock-and-key recognition operating in enzymatic active sites. Theoretical calculations unveil that enantioselectivity is governed by the precise fitting of the substrate scaffold into the catalytic site, through a network of complementary weak non-covalent interactions. Stereoretentive C(sp3)-H hydroxylation results in a single-step generation of multiple stereogenic centers (up to 4) that can be orthogonally manipulated by conventional methods providing rapid access, from a single precursor to a variety of chiral scaffolds.

Ferrocenophanium Stability and Catalysis

Ferrocenium catalysis is a vibrant research area, and an increasing number of ferrocenium-catalyzed processes have been reported in the recent years. However, the ferrocenium cation is not very stable in solution, which may potentially hamper catalytic applications. In an effort to stabilize ferrocenium-type architectures by inserting a bridge between the cyclopentadienyl rings, we investigated two ferrocenophanium (or ansa-ferrocenium) cations with respect to their stability and catalytic activity in propargylic substitution reactions. One of the ferrocenophanium complexes was characterized by single crystal X-ray diffraction. Cyclic voltammetry experiments of the ferrocenophane parent compounds were performed in the absence and presence of alcohol nucleophiles, and the stability of the cations in solution was judged based on the reversibility of the electron transfer. The experiments revealed a moderate stabilizing effect of the bridge, albeit the effect is not very pronounced or straightforward. Catalytic propargylic substitution test reactions revealed decreased activity of the ferrocenophanium cations compared to the ferrocenium cation. It appears that the somewhat stabilized ferrocenophanium cations show decreased catalytic activity.

Hydrogen Bonding-Assisted and Nonheme Manganese-Catalyzed Remote Hydroxylation of C-H Bonds in Nitrogen-Containing Molecules

The development of catalytic systems capable of oxygenating unactivated C-H bonds with excellent site-selectivity and functional group tolerance under mild conditions remains a challenge. Inspired by the secondary coordination sphere (SCS) hydrogen bonding in metallooxygenases, reported herein is an SCS solvent hydrogen bonding strategy that employs 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) as a strong hydrogen bond donor solvent to enable remote C-H hydroxylation in the presence of basic aza-heteroaromatic rings with a low loading of a readily available and inexpensive manganese complex as a catalyst and hydrogen peroxide as a terminal oxidant. We demonstrate that this strategy represents a promising compliment to the current state-of-the-art protection approaches that rely on precomplexation with strong Lewis and/or Brønsted acids. Mechanistic studies with experimental and theoretical approaches reveal the existence of a strong hydrogen bonding between the nitrogen-containing substrate and HFIP, which prevents the catalyst deactivation by nitrogen binding and deactivates the basic nitrogen atom toward oxygen atom transfer and the α-C-H bonds adjacent to the nitrogen center toward H-atom abstraction. Moreover, the hydrogen bonding exerted by HFIP has also been demonstrated not only to facilitate the O-O bond heterolytic cleavage of a putative Mn^III-OOH precursor to generate Mn^V(O)(OC(O)CH₂Br) as an active oxidant but also to affect the stability and the activity of Mn^V(O)(OC(O)CH₂Br).

Seeing the cis-Dihydroxylating Intermediate: A Mononuclear Nonheme Iron-Peroxo Complex in cis-Dihydroxylation Reactions Modeling Rieske Dioxygenases

The nature of reactive intermediates and the mechanism of the cis-dihydroxylation of arenes and olefins by Rieske dioxygenases and synthetic nonheme iron catalysts have been the topic of intense research over the past several decades. In this study, we report that a spectroscopically well characterized mononuclear nonheme iron(III)-peroxo complex reacts with olefins and naphthalene derivatives, yielding iron(III) cycloadducts that are isolated and characterized structurally and spectroscopically. Kinetics and product analysis reveal that the nonheme iron(III)-peroxo complex is a nucleophile that reacts with olefins and naphthalenes to yield cis-diol products. The present study reports the first example of the cis-dihydroxylation of substrates by a nonheme iron(III)-peroxo complex that yields cis-diol products.

Pyridine modifications regulate the electronics and reactivity of Fe-pyridinophane complexes

12-Membered pyridinophanes are the focus of many studies as biological mimics, chelators, and catalytic precursors. Therefore, the desire to tune the reactivity of pyridinophanes to better control the applications of derivative metal complexes has inspired many structure-activity relationship studies. However, the separation of structural versus electronic changes imparted by ligand modification has made these structure-activity relationship studies of transition metal catalysts challenging to define. In this work we show that 4-substitution of the pyridine ring in 12-membered tetra-aza pyridinophanes successfully provides a regulatory handle on the electronic properties of the metal center and, therefore, the catalytic C-C coupling activity of the respective iron complexes. The C-C coupling reaction catalyzed by Fe(L1-L6) provides a range of yields (32-58%) that directly correlate with iron redox potentials (ΔE1/2 = 152 mV) and metal binding constants (Δlog β = 3.45), while the geometry of the complexes was virtually indistinguishable. These are the first results to definitively show the redox potential and metal binding as independent properties from the coordination chemistry in one ligand series. Adjustments to these chemical properties were then shown to provide a regulatory handle for the C-C coupling reactivity tuned via pyridine substitution in pyridinophanes.

Unprotected amine transfer performed by non-heme iron(II) complexes

Direct amination of C-H or CC bonds using unprotected amino groups is very challenging, especially with earth abundant metal ions. Here we show that a bioinspired iron(II) complex catalyses the double amination of its dangling benzyl branch in the presence of hydroxylamine derivatives as the unprotected amine donor and that the replacement of the benzyl branch by a methyl group also allows the aziridination of styrene.

Sustainable Wacker-Type Oxidations

The Wacker reaction is the oxidation of olefins to ketones and typically requires expensive and scarce palladium catalysts in the presence of an additional copper co-catalyst under harsh conditions (acidic media, high pressure of air/dioxygen, elevated temperatures). Such a transformation is relevant for industry, as shown by the synthesis of acetaldehyde from ethylene as well as for fine-chemicals, because of the versatility of a carbonyl group placed at specific positions. In this regard, many contributions have focused on controlling the chemo- and regioselectivity of the olefin oxidation by means of well-defined palladium catalysts under different sets of reaction conditions. However, the development of Wacker-type processes that avoid the use of palladium catalysts has just emerged in the last few years, thereby paving the way for the generation of more sustainable procedures, including milder reaction conditions and green chemistry technologies. In this Minireview, we discuss the development of new catalytic processes that utilize more benign catalysts and sustainable reaction conditions.

Manganese-Catalyzed Regioselective C-H Lactonization and Hydroxylation of Fatty Acids with H2O2

Herein, we report the direct selective C-H lactonization of fatty acids (C5-C16), catalyzed by manganese(II) complexes bearing bis-amino-bis-pyridine ligands. The catalyst system uses the environmentally benign hydrogen peroxide as oxidant and exhibits high efficiency (100-200 TON), providing under optimized conditions γ-lactones in 60-90% yields. Remarkably, by changing the reaction conditions, the oxidation of hexanoic acid can be diverted toward formation of δ-caprolactone in up to 67% yield. Furthermore, the possibility of obtaining (ω-1)-hydroxy derivatives from linear C7-C10 acids in up to 48% yields has been demonstrated.

Novel (Pt-Ox )-(Co-Oy ) Nonbonding Active Structures on Defective Carbon from Oxygen-Rich Coal Tar Pitch for Efficient HER and ORR

Atomic-scale utilization and coordination structure of Pt electrocatalyst is extremely crucial to decrease loading mass and maximize activity for hydrogen evolution reactions (HERs) and oxygen reduction reactions (ORRs). A novel atomic-scale (Pt-O_x )-(Co-O_y ) nonbonding active structure is designed and constructed by anchoring Pt single atoms and Co atomic clusters on the defective carbon derived from oxygen-rich coal tar pitch (CTP). The Pt loading mass is extremely low and only 0.56 wt%. A new nonbonding interaction phenomenon between Pt-O_x and Co-O_y is found and confirmed based on X-ray absorption spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations. Based on the (Pt-O_x )-(Co-O_y ) nonbonding active structure, surface chemical field coupling with electrocatalysis for the HER and ORR is confirmed. It is found that the (Pt-O_x )-(Co-O_y ) nonbonding active structure exhibits high mass activities of 64.4 A cm^-2 mg_Pt ^-1 (at an overpotential of 100 mV) and 7.2 A cm^-2 mg_Pt ^-1 (at 0.8 V vs reversible hydrogen electrode) for the HER and ORR, respectively. The values are 6.5 and 11.6 times as much as those of commercial 20% Pt/C. The work provides innovative insight to design and understand efficient active sites of atomic-scale Pt on oxygen-rich CTP-derived carbon supports for electrocatalysis.

Carboxylic Acid Directed γ-Lactonization of Unactivated Primary C-H Bonds Catalyzed by Mn Complexes: Application to Stereoselective Natural Product Diversification

Reactions that enable selective functionalization of strong aliphatic C-H bonds open new synthetic paths to rapidly increase molecular complexity and expand chemical space. Particularly valuable are reactions where site-selectivity can be directed toward a specific C-H bond by catalyst control. Herein we describe the catalytic site- and stereoselective γ-lactonization of unactivated primary C-H bonds in carboxylic acid substrates. The system relies on a chiral Mn catalyst that activates aqueous hydrogen peroxide to promote intramolecular lactonization under mild conditions, via carboxylate binding to the metal center. The system exhibits high site-selectivity and enables the oxidation of unactivated primary γ-C-H bonds even in the presence of intrinsically weaker and a priori more reactive secondary and tertiary ones at α- and β-carbons. With substrates bearing nonequivalent γ-C-H bonds, the factors governing site-selectivity have been uncovered. Most remarkably, by manipulating the absolute chirality of the catalyst, γ-lactonization at methyl groups in gem-dimethyl structural units of rigid cyclic and bicyclic carboxylic acids can be achieved with unprecedented levels of diastereoselectivity. Such control has been successfully exploited in the late-stage lactonization of natural products such as camphoric, camphanic, ketopinic, and isoketopinic acids. DFT analysis points toward a rebound type mechanism initiated by intramolecular 1,7-HAT from a primary γ-C-H bond of the bound substrate to a highly reactive Mn^IV-oxyl intermediate, to deliver a carbon radical that rapidly lactonizes through carboxylate transfer. Intramolecular kinetic deuterium isotope effect and ¹⁸O labeling experiments provide strong support to this mechanistic picture.

Unmasking the Iron-Oxo Bond of the [(Ligand)Fe-OIAr]2+/+ Complexes

ArIO (ArI = 2-(tBuSO2)C6H4I) is an oxidant used to oxidize FeII species to their FeIV-oxo state, enabling hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) and oxygen-atom transfer (OAT) reactions at low energy barriers. ArIO, as a ligand, generates masked Fen═O species of the type Fe(n-2)-OIAr. Herein, we used gas-phase ion-molecule reactions and DFT calculations to explore the properties of masked iron-oxo species and to understand their unmasking mechanisms. The theory shows that the I-O bond cleavage in [(TPA)FeIVO(ArIO)]2+ (12+, TPA = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine)) is highly endothermic; therefore, it can be achieved only in collision-induced dissociation of 12+ leading to the unmasked iron(VI) dioxo complex. The reduction of 12+ by HAT leads to [(TPA)FeIIIOH(ArIO)]2+ with a reduced energy demand for the I-O bond cleavage but is, however, still endothermic. The exothermic unmasking of the Fe═O bond is predicted after one-electron reduction of 12+ or after OAT reactivity. The latter leads to the 4e- oxidation of unsaturated hydrocarbons: The initial OAT from [(TPA)FeIVO(ArIO)]2+ leads to the epoxidation of an alkene and triggers the unmasking of the second Fe═O bond still within one collisional complex. The second oxidation step starts with HAT from a C-H bond and follows with the rebound of the C-radical and the OH group. The process starting with the one-electron reduction could be studied with [(TQA)FeIVO(ArIO)]2+ (22+, TQA = tris(2-quinolylmethyl)amine)) because it has a sufficient electron affinity for electron transfer with alkenes. Accordingly, the reaction of 22+ with 2-carene leads to [(TQA)FeIIIO(ArIO)]2+ that exothermically eliminates ArI and unmasks the reactive FeV-dioxo species.

Chemoselective Oxyfunctionalization of Functionalized Benzylic Compounds with a Manganese Catalyst

Whilst allowing for easy access to synthetically versatile motifs and for modification of bioactive molecules, the chemoselective benzylic oxidation reactions of functionalized alkyl arenes remain challenging. Reported in this study is a new non-heme Mn catalyst stabilized by a bipiperidine-based tetradentate ligand, which enables methylene oxidation of benzylic compounds by H2 O2 , showing high activity and excellent chemoselectivity under mild conditions. The protocol tolerates an unprecedentedly wide range of functional groups, including carboxylic acid and derivatives, ketone, cyano, azide, acetate, sulfonate, alkyne, amino acid, and amine units, thus providing a low-cost, more sustainable and robust pathway for the facile synthesis of ketones, increase of complexity of organic molecules, and late-stage modification of drugs.

Asymmetric Epoxidation of Olefins with Sodium Percarbonate Catalyzed by Bis-amino-bis-pyridine Manganese Complexes

Asymmetric epoxidation of a series of olefinic substrates with sodium percarbonate oxidant in the presence of homogeneous catalysts based on Mn complexes with bis-amino-bis-pyridine ligands is reported. Sodium percarbonate is a readily available and environmentally benign oxidant that is studied in these reactions for the first time. The epoxidation proceeded with good to high yields (up to 100%) and high enantioselectivities (up to 99% ee) using as low as 0.2 mol. % catalyst loadings. The epoxidation protocol is suitable for various types of substrates, including unfunctionalized alkenes, α,β-unsaturated ketones, esters (cis- and trans-), and amides (cis- and trans-). The reaction mechanism is discussed.

Resolving Oxygenation Pathways in Manganese-Catalyzed C(sp3)-H Functionalization via Radical and Cationic Intermediates

The C(sp³)–H bond oxygenation of the cyclopropane-containing mechanistic probes 6-tert-butylspiro[2.5]octane and spiro[2.5]octane with hydrogen peroxide catalyzed by manganese complexes bearing aminopyridine tetradentate ligands has been studied. Mixtures of unrearranged and rearranged oxygenation products (alcohols, ketones, and esters) are obtained, suggesting the involvement of cationic intermediates and the contribution of different pathways following the initial hydrogen atom transfer-based C–H bond cleavage step. Despite such a complex mechanistic scenario, a judicious choice of the catalyst structure and reaction conditions (solvent, temperature, and carboxylic acid) could be employed to resolve these oxygenation pathways, leading, with the former substrate, to conditions where a single unrearranged or rearranged product is obtained in good isolated yield. Taken together, the work demonstrates an unprecedented ability to precisely direct the chemoselectivity of the C–H oxidation reaction, discriminating among multiple pathways. In addition, these results conclusively demonstrate that stereospecific C(sp³)–H oxidation can take place via a cationic intermediate and that this path can become exclusive in governing product formation, expanding the available toolbox of aliphatic C–H bond oxygenations. The implications of these findings are discussed in the framework of the development of synthetically useful C–H functionalization procedures and the associated mechanistic features.