X-ray Absorption and Emission Spectroscopies of X-Bridged Diiron Phthalocyanine Complexes (FePc)2X (X = C, N, O) Combined with DFT Study of (FePc)2X and Their High-Valent Diiron Oxo Complexes

Tailoring C─N Containing Compounds into Carbon Nanomaterials with Tunable Morphologies for Electrocatalytic Applications

Carbon materials with unique sp2 -hybridization are extensively researched for catalytic applications due to their excellent conductivity and tunable physicochemical properties. However, the development of economic approaches to tailoring carbon materials into desired morphologies remains a challenge. Herein, a convenient "bottom-up" strategy by pyrolysis of graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3 N4 ) (or other carbon/nitrogen (C, N)-enriched compounds) together with selected metal salts and molecules is reported for the construction of different carbon-based catalysts with tunable morphologies, including carbon nano-balls, carbon nanotubes, nitrogen/sulfur (S, N) doped-carbon nanosheets, and single-atom catalysts, supported by carbon layers. The catalysts are systematically investigated through various microscopic, spectroscopic, and diffraction methods and they demonstrate promising and broad applications in electrocatalysis such as in the oxygen reduction reaction and water splitting. Mechanistic monitoring of the synthesis process through online thermogravimetric-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry measurements indicates that the release of C─N-related moieties, such as dicyan, plays a key role in the growth of carbon products. This enables to successfully predict other widely available precursor compounds beyond g-C3 N4 such as caffeine, melamine, and urea. This work develops a novel and economic strategy to generate morphologically diverse carbon-based catalysts and provides new, essential insights into the growth mechanism of carbon nanomaterials syntheses.

Stacking of a Cofacially Stacked Iron Phthalocyanine Dimer on Graphite Achieved High Catalytic CH4 Oxidation Activity Comparable to That of pMMO

Numerous biomimetic molecular catalysts inspired by methane monooxygenases (MMOs) that utilize iron or copper-oxo species as key intermediates have been developed. However, the catalytic methane oxidation activities of biomimetic molecule-based catalysts are still much lower than those of MMOs. Herein, we report that the close stacking of a μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer onto a graphite surface is effective in achieving high catalytic methane oxidation activity. The activity is almost 50 times higher than that of other potent molecule-based methane oxidation catalysts and comparable to those of certain MMOs, in an aqueous solution containing H₂O₂. It was demonstrated that the graphite-supported μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer oxidized methane, even at room temperature. Electrochemical investigation and density functional theory calculations suggested that the stacking of the catalyst onto graphite induced partial charge transfer from the reactive oxo species of the μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer and significantly lowered the singly occupied molecular orbital level, thereby facilitating electron transfer from methane to the catalyst in the proton-coupled electron-transfer process. The cofacially stacked structure is advantageous for stable adhesion of the catalyst molecule on the graphite surface in the oxidative reaction condition and for preventing decreases in the oxo-basicity and generation rate of the terminal iron-oxo species. We also demonstrated that the graphite-supported catalyst exhibited appreciably enhanced activity under photoirradiation owing to the photothermal effect.

Comparative oxidative ability of mononuclear and dinuclear high-valent iron-oxo species towards the activation of methane: does the axial/bridge atom modulate the reactivity?

Over the years, mononuclear Fe^IVO species have been extensively studied, but the presence of dinuclear Fe^IVO species in soluble methane monooxygenase (sMMO) has inspired the development of biomimic models that could activate inert substrates such as methane. There are some successful attempts; particularly the [(Por)(m-CBA) Fe^IV(μ-N)Fe^IV(O)(Por˙⁺)]^- species has been reported to activate methane and yield decent catalytic turnover numbers and therefore regarded as the closest to the sMMO enzyme functional model, as no mononuclear Fe^IVO analogues could achieve this feat. In this work, we have studied a series of mono and dinuclear models using DFT and ab initio DLPNO-CCSD(T) calculations to probe the importance of nuclearity in enhancing the reactivity. We have probed the catalytic activities of four complexes: [(HO)Fe^IV(O)(Por)]^- (1), [(HO)Fe^IV(O)(Por˙⁺)] (2), μ-oxo dinuclear iron species [(Por)(m-CBA)Fe^IV(μ-O)Fe^IV(O) (Por˙⁺)]^- (3) and N-bridged dinuclear iron species [(Por)(m-CBA)Fe^IV(μ-N)Fe^IV(O)(Por˙⁺)]^- (4) towards the activation of methane. Additionally, calculations were performed on the mononuclear models [(X)Fe^IV(O)(Por˙⁺)]ⁿ {X = N 4a (n = -2), NH 4b (n = -1) and NH₂4c (n = 0)} to understand the role of nuclearity in the reactivity. DFT calculations performed on species 1-4 suggest an interesting variation among them, with species 1-3 possessing an intermediate spin (S = 1) as a ground state and species 4 possessing a high-spin (S = 2) as a ground state. Furthermore, the two Fe^IV centres in species 3 and 4 are antiferromagnetically coupled, yielding a singlet state with a distinct difference in their electronic structure. On the other hand, species 2 exhibits a ferromagnetic coupling between the Fe^IV and the Por˙⁺ moiety. Our calculations suggest that the higher barriers for the C-H bond activation of methane and the rebound step for species 1 and 3 are very high in energy, rendering them unreactive towards methane, while species 2 and 4 have lower barriers, suggesting their reactivity towards methane. Studies on the system reveal that model 4a has multiple FeN bonds facilitating greater reactivity, whereas the other two models have longer Fe-N bonds and less radical character with steeper barriers. Strong electronic cooperativity is found to be facilitated by the bridging nitride atom, and this cooperativity is suppressed by substituents such as oxygen, rendering them inactive. Thus, our study unravels that apart from enhancing the nuclearity, bridging atoms that facilitate strong cooperation between the metals are required to activate very inert substrates such as methane, and our results are broadly in agreement with earlier experimental findings.

Dimerization of [FeIII(bpy)3]3+ in Aqueous Solutions: Elucidating a Mechanism Based on Historical Proposals, Electrochemical Data, and Computational Free Energy Analysis

Iron(II) tris-bipyridine, [Fe^II(bpy)₃]²⁺, is a historically significant organometallic coordination complex with attractive redox and photophysical properties. With respect to energy storage, it is a low-cost, high-redox potential complex and thus attractive for use as a catholyte in aqueous redox flow batteries. Despite these favorable characteristics, its oxidized Fe(III) form undergoes dimerization to form μ-O-[Fe^III(bpy)₂(H₂O)]₂⁴⁺, leading to a dramatic ∼0.7 V decrease during battery discharge. To date, the energetics and complete mechanism of this slow, sequential electrochemical-chemical (EC) process, which includes electron transfer, nucleophilic attack, ligand cleavage, μ-oxo bond formation, and spin state transition, have not been elucidated. Using cyclic voltammetry, redox flow battery data, and density functional theory calculations guided by previously proposed mechanisms, we modeled more than 100 complexes and performed more than 50 geometry scans to resolve the key steps dictating these complex chemical processes. Quantitative free energy surfaces are developed to model the mechanism of dimerization accounting for the spins and identities of any possible Fe(II), Fe(III), or Fe(IV) intermediates. Electrochemical reduction of the dimer regenerates [Fe^II(bpy)₃]²⁺ in an overall reversible process. Computational electrochemistry interrogates the influence of spin state, coordination environment, and molecular conformation at the electrode-electrolyte interface through a proposed stepwise dimer reduction process. Experimentally, we show that the considerable overpotential associated with this event can be catalytically mitigated with disparate materials, including platinum, copper hexacyanoferrate, and activated carbon. The findings are of fundamental and applied significance and could elevate [Fe^II(bpy)₃]²⁺ and its derivatives to play a vital role in the burgeoning renewable energy economy.

Updated Calibrated Model for the Prediction of Molecular Frontier Orbital Energies and Its Application to Boron Subphthalocyanines

A diverse range of computational methods have been used to calibrate against available data and to compare against the correlation for the prediction of frontier orbital energies and optical gaps of novel boron subphthalocyanine (BsubPc) derivatives and related compounds. These properties are of fundamental importance to organic electronic material applications and development, making BsubPcs ideal candidates in pursuit of identifying promising materials for targeted applications. This work employs a database of highly accurate experimental data from materials produced and characterized in-house. The models presented herein calibrate these properties with R² values > 0.95. We find that computationally inexpensive semiempirical methods such as PM6 and PM7 outperform most density functional theory methods for calibration. We are excited to share these results with the field as it empowers the community to determine key physical properties of BsubPcs with confidence using free software and a standard laptop prior to the arduous synthesis and purification thereof. This study is a follow up to our previous work calibrating PM3, RM1, and B3LYP-6-31G(d), which used a smaller set of BsubPc derivatives at a past point when less data were available.

Synthesis of a monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron porphycene dimer and its methane oxidation activity

Herein, we report the synthesis of a monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron porphycene dimer, a structural analogue of a monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer, which is known to be one of the most potent molecule-based catalysts for methane oxidation. ¹H-NMR and single-crystal X-ray structural analyses showed that the porphycene complex includes two Fe(IV) ions, and the structure around the Fe-NFe core is quite similar to that of the monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer. Although methane was oxidized into MeOH, HCHO, and HCOOH in the presence of a silica-supported catalyst of this monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron porphycene dimer in an acidic aqueous solution containing excess H₂O₂, its reactive intermediate was not a high-valence iron-oxo species, as in the case of a monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer, but ˙OH. It is suggested that the high-valent iron-oxo species of the μ-nitrido-bridged iron porphycene dimer was gradually decomposed under these reaction conditions, and the decomposed compound catalyzed a Fenton-type reaction. This result indicates that the stability of the oxo-species is indispensable for achieving high catalytic methane oxidation activity using a μ-nitrido-bridged iron porphyrinoid dimer with an Fe-NFe core as a catalyst.

Application of Lever's EL Parameter Scale toward Fe(II)/Fe(III) versus Pc(2-)/Pc(1-) Oxidation Process Crossover Point in Axially Coordinated Iron(II) Phthalocyanine Complexes

The electronic structures and, particularly, the nature of the HOMO in a series of PcFeL₂, PcFeL'L″, and [PcFeX₂]^2- complexes (Pc = phthalocyaninato(2-) ligand; L = NH₃, n-BuNH₂, imidazole (Im), pyridine (Py), PMe₃, PBu₃, t-BuNC, P(OBu)₃, and DMSO; L' = CO; L″ = NH₃ or n-BuNH₂; X = NCO^-, NCS^-, CN^-, imidazolate (Im^-), or 1,2,4-triazolate(Tz^-)) were probed by electrochemical, spectroelectrochemical, and chemical oxidation as well as theoretical (density functional theory, DFT) studies. In general, energies of the metal-centered occupied orbitals in various six-coordinate iron phthalocyanine complexes correlate well with Lever Electrochemical Parameter E_L and intercross the phthalocyanine-centered a_1u orbital in several compounds with moderate-to-strong π-accepting axial ligands. In these cases, an oxidation of the phthalocyanine macrocycle (Pc(2-)/Pc(1-)) rather than the central metal ion (Fe(II)/Fe(III)) was theoretically predicted and experimentally confirmed.

Application of μ-Nitrido- and μ-Carbido-Bridged Iron Phthalocyanine Dimers as Cathode-Active Materials for Rechargeable Batteries

μ-Nitrido- and μ-carbido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimers, when used as cathode-active materials for rechargeable lithium batteries, showed four stable redox waves in cyclic voltammetry studies in solution and a stable discharge capacity of approximately 60 mAh g^-1 after 200 cycles. These results indicate that μ-heteroatom-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimers are good platforms for designing novel phthalocyanine-based electrode-active materials.

High catalytic methane oxidation activity of monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer with sixteen methyl groups

Herein, we report the highly potent catalytic methane oxidation activity of a monocationic μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer with 16 peripheral methyl groups. It was confirmed that this complex oxidized methane stably into MeOH, HCHO, and HCOOH in a catalytic manner in an acidic aqueous solution containing excess H2O2 at 60 °C. The total turnover number of the reaction reached 135 after 12 h, which is almost seven times higher than that of a monocatinoic μ-nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer with no peripheral substituents. This suggests that the increased number of peripheral electron-donating substituents could have facilitated the generation of a reactive high-valent iron-oxo species as well as hydrogen abstraction from methane by the reactive iron-oxo species.

Fluorescence properties and quantum-chemical modeling of tert-butyl-substituted porphyrazines: Structural and ionization effect

Synthesis and identification of tetrakis-[5,6-bis(4-tert-butylphenyl)pyrazino] porphyrazine, tetra-(4-tert-butyl)phthalocyanine and octakis-(4-tert-butylphenyl)porphyrazine were carried out. Spectrophotometric method was used to study the spectral, acidic and fluorescence properties of the synthesized compounds. It was determined that the synthesized tert-butyl-substituted porphyrazines exhibit a high sensitivity of fluorescence to the molecule ionization. To understand the features of the spectral properties the geometry optimization and an analysis of energy levels and localization of highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals of the studied compounds were performed on the basis of density functional theory with the BP86 functional and the def2-TZVP basis set. The effect of substituents in molecular fragments of the macrocycle on the acidic and electro-optical properties of the studied compounds is revealed. Materials with pH-tunable fluorescence were designed.

Spectral-Fluorescence Properties of Zn(II)-Octaphenyltetraazaporphyrins

Zn(II)-octa-(4-chlorophenyl)- and Zn(II)-octa-(4-bromophenyl)tetraazaporphyrins were synthesized by the reaction of cyclotetramerization of di-(4-chlorophenyl)- and di-(4-bromophenyl)maleonitriles with zinc(II) chloride. The obtained compounds were identified by UV-vis, IR, NMR ¹H spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Geometry optimization of the series of halogenated Zn(II)-octaaryltetraazaporphyrins was performed using the density functional method with the BP86 functional and the def2-TZVP basis set. An analysis of the distribution of molecular orbital energies in the neighborhood of highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO and HOMO-1) and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO and LUMO+1) and the width of the HOMO - LUMO energy gaps (E_H-L) was performed for the studied compounds. Fluorimetric measurements of the Zn(II)-octaphenyltetraazaporphyrins in toluene were carried out and fluorescence quantum yields of studied compounds were determined and analyzed. It has been shown that the halogen on the para-position of the phenyl groups significantly affects the value of the obtained quantum yields of fluorescence emission but does not significantly affect the Stokes shifts.

Electronic Structure of N-Bridged High-Valent Diiron-Oxo

Density functional theory (DFT) and an advanced ab initio technique based on density matrix renormalization group (DMRG-CASPT2) were employed to investigate a reactive N-bridged high-valent diiron-oxo species involved in H-abstraction reactions. We studied in detail two important doublet states, the ground state with two iron(IV) centers and a mixed valence Fe^V -Fe^IV excited state. We found that the latter state is low-lying. Furthermore, its electronic structure and spin density imply that it has significantly higher H-abstraction reactivity than the ground state. This low-lying excited state might be the reason behind the high oxidation reactivity of this diiron-oxo species towards methane.

Methodological Survey of Simplified TD-DFT Methods for Fast and Accurate Interpretation of UV-Vis-NIR Spectra of Phthalocyanines

A methodological survey of density functional theory (DFT) methods for the prediction of UV-visible (vis)-near-infrared (NIR) spectra of phthalocyanines is reported. Four methods, namely, full time-dependent (TD)-DFT and its Tamm-Dancoff approximation (TDA), together with their simplified modifications (sTD-DFT and sTDA, respectively), were tested by using the examples of unsubstituted and alkoxy-substituted metal-free ligands and zinc complexes. The theoretical results were compared with experimental data derived from UV-visible absorption and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. Seven popular exchange-correlation functionals (BP86, B3LYP, TPSSh, M06, CAM-B3LYP, LC-BLYP, and ωB97X) were tested within these four approaches starting at a relatively modest level using 6-31G(d) basis sets and gas-phase BP86/def2-SVP optimized geometries. A gradual augmentation of the computational levels was used to identify the influence of starting geometry, solvation effects, and basis sets on the results of TD-DFT and sTD-DFT calculations. It was found that although these factors do influence the predicted energies of the vertical excitations, they do not affect the trends predicted in the spectral properties across series of structurally related substituted free bases and metallophthalocyanines. The best accuracy for the gas-phase vertical excitations was observed in the lower-energy Q-band region for calculations that made use of range-separated hybrids for both full and simplified TD-DFT approaches. The CAM-B3LYP functional provided particularly accurate results in the context of the sTD-DFT approach. The description of the higher-energy B-band region is considerably less accurate, and this demonstrates the need for further advances in the accuracy of theoretical calculations. Together with a general increase in accuracy, the application of simplified TD-DFT methods affords a 2-3 orders of magnitude speedup of the calculations in comparison to the full TD-DFT approach. It is anticipated that this approach will be widely used on desktop computers during the interpretation of UV-vis-NIR spectra of phthalocyanines and related macrocycles in the years ahead.

Site-Selective Supramolecular Complexation Activates Catalytic Ethane Oxidation by a Nitrido-Bridged Iron Porphyrinoid Dimer

Development of supramolecular methods to further activate a highly reactive intermediate is a fascinating strategy to create novel potent catalysts for activation of inert chemicals. Herein, a supramolecular approach to enhance the oxidizing ability of a high-valent oxo species of a nitrido-bridged iron porphyrinoid dimer that is a known potent molecular catalyst for light alkane oxidation is reported. For this purpose, a nitrido-bridged dinuclear iron complex of porphyrin-phthalocyanine heterodimer 3⁵⁺ , which is connected through a fourfold rotaxane, was prepared. Heterodimer 3⁵⁺ catalyzed ethane oxidation in the presence of H₂ O₂ at a relatively low temperature. The site-selective complexation of 3⁵⁺ with an additional anionic porphyrin (TPPS^4- ) through π-π stacking and electrostatic interactions afforded a stable 1:1 complex. It was demonstrated that the supramolecular post-synthetic modification of 3⁵⁺ enhances its catalytic activity efficiently. Moreover, supramolecular conjugates achieved higher catalytic ethane oxidation activity than nitrido-bridged iron phthalocyanine dimer, which is the most potent iron-oxo-based molecular catalyst for light-alkane oxidation reported so far. Electrochemical measurements proved that the electronic perturbation from TPPS^4- to 3⁵⁺ enhanced the catalytic activity.

Electronic and molecular structure relations in diiron compounds mimicking the [FeFe]-hydrogenase active site studied by X-ray spectroscopy and quantum chemistry

Synthetic diiron compounds of the general formula Fe₂(μ-S₂R)(CO)_n(L)_6-n (R = alkyl or aromatic groups; L = CN^- or phosphines) are versatile models for the active-site cofactor of hydrogen turnover in [FeFe]-hydrogenases. A series of 18 diiron compounds, containing mostly a dithiolate bridge and terminal ligands of increasing complexity, was characterized by X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopy in combination with density functional theory. Fe K-edge absorption and Kβ main-line emission spectra revealed the varying geometry and the low-spin state of the Fe(i) centers. Good agreement between experimental and calculated core-to-valence-excitation absorption and radiative valence-to-core-decay emission spectra revealed correlations between spectroscopic and structural features and provided access to the electronic configuration. Four main effects on the diiron core were identified, which were preferentially related to variation either of the dithiolate or of the terminal ligands. Alteration of the dithiolate bridge affected mainly the Fe-Fe bond strength, while more potent donor substitution and ligand field asymmetrization changed the metal charge and valence level localization. In contrast, cyanide ligation altered all relevant properties and, in particular, the frontier molecular orbital energies of the diiron core. Mutual benchmarking of experimental and theoretical parameters provides guidelines to verify the electronic properties of related diiron compounds.

Heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron complex supported by phthalocyanine and octapropylporphyrazine ligands: Formation of oxo species and their reactivity with fluorinated compounds

The synthesis and reactivity of [Formula: see text]-bridged diiron macrocyclic complexes have been a topic of increasing interest in recent years since the observation of particular catalytic properties of these complexes. Herein, we report a preparation of a novel heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron complex with unsubstituted phthalocyanine and octapropylporphyrazine macrocycles. This complex reacts with [Formula: see text]-chloroperbenzoic acid to form high-valent diiron oxo species showing strong oxidizing properties. The formation and structure of the transient oxo species was investigated by cryospray collision induced dissociation MS/MS technique. Analysis of fragmentation pattern showed that the attachment of oxo moiety occurred at either iron phthalocyanine or at iron porphyrazine site with slight preference for the phthalocyanine iron site. The catalytic properties of the heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron complex were evaluated in the oxidative transformation of hexafluorobenzene and perfluoro(allylbenzene).

Heterobimetallic Nitrido Complexes of Group 8 Metalloporphyrins

Heterobimetallic nitrido porphyrin complexes with the [(L)(por)M-N-M'(L_OEt)Cl₂] formula {por^2- = 5,10,15,20-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP^2-) or 5,10,15,20-tetra(p-tolyl)porphyrin (TTP^2-) dianion; L_OEt^- = [Co(η⁵-C₅H₅){P(O)(OEt)₂}₃]^-; M = Fe, Ru, or Os; M' = Ru or Os; L = H₂O or pyridine} have been synthesized, and their electrochemistry has been studied. Treatment of trans-[Fe(TPP)(py)₂] (py = pyridine) with Ru(VI) nitride [Ru(L_OEt)(N)Cl₂] (1) afforded Fe/Ru μ-nitrido complex [(py)(TPP)Fe(μ-N)Ru(L_OEt)Cl₂] (2). Similarly, Fe/Os analogue [(py)(TPP)Fe(μ-N)Os(L_OEt)Cl₂] (3) was obtained from trans-[Fe(TPP)(py)₂] and [Os(L_OEt)(N)Cl₂]. However, no reaction was found between trans-[Fe(TPP)(py)₂] and [Re(L_OEt)(N)Cl(PPh₃)]. Treatment of trans-[M(TPP)(CO)(EtOH)] with 1 afforded μ-nitrido complexes [(H₂O)(TPP)M(μ-N)Ru(L_OEt)Cl₂] [M = Ru (4a) or Os (5)]. TTP analogue [(H₂O)(TTP)Ru(μ-N)Ru(L_OEt)Cl₂] (4b) was prepared similarly from trans-[Ru(TTP)(CO)(EtOH)] and 1. Reaction of [(H₂O)(por)M(μ-N)M(L_OEt)Cl₂] with pyridine gave adducts [(py)(por)M(μ-N)Ru(L_OEt)Cl₂] [por = TTP, and M = Ru (6); por = TPP, and M = Os (7)]. The diamagnetism and short (por)M-N(nitride) distances in 2 [Fe-N, 1.683(3) Å] and 4b [Ru-N, 1.743(3) Å] are indicative of the M^IV═N═M'^IV bonding description. The cyclic voltammograms of the Fe/Ru (2) and Ru/Ru (4b) complexes in CH₂Cl₂ displayed oxidation couples at approximately +0.29 and +0.35 V versus Fc^+/0 (Fc = ferrocene) that are tentatively ascribed to the oxidation of the {L_OEtRu} and {Ru(TTP)} moieties, respectively, whereas the Fe/Os (3) and Os/Ru (5) complexes exhibited Os-centered oxidation at approximately -0.06 and +0.05 V versus Fc^+/0, respectively. The crystal structures of 2 and 4b have been determined.

Control of the molecular packing of chloroboron(iii) and fluoroboron(iii) subnaphthalocyanines by designing peripheral substituents

Dipolar subnaphthalocyanines with alkynyl groups and a B–F moiety are packed in hexagonal columns.

μ-Nitrido Diiron Macrocyclic Platform: Particular Structure for Particular Catalysis

The ultimate objective of bioinspired catalysis is the development of efficient and clean chemical processes. Cytochrome P450 and soluble methane monooxygenase enzymes efficiently catalyze many challenging reactions. Extensive research has been performed to mimic their exciting chemistry, aiming to create efficient chemical catalysts for functionalization of strong C-H bonds. Two current biomimetic approaches are based on (i) mononuclear metal porphyrin-like complexes and (ii) iron and diiron non-heme complexes. However, biomimetic catalysts capable of oxidizing CH4 are still to be created. In the search for powerful oxidizing catalysts, we have recently proposed a new bioinspired strategy using N-bridged diiron phthalocyanine and porphyrin complexes. This platform is particularly suitable for stabilization of Fe(IV)Fe(IV) complexes and can be useful to generate high-valent oxidizing active species. Indeed, the possibility of charge delocalization on two iron centers, two macrocyclic ligands, and the nitrogen bridge makes possible the activation of H2O2 and peracids. The ultrahigh-valent diiron-oxo species (L)Fe(IV)-N-Fe(IV)(L(+•))═O (L = porphyrin or phthalocyanine) have been prepared at low temperatures and characterized by cryospray MS, UV-vis, EPR, and Mössbauer techniques. The highly electrophilic (L)Fe(IV)-N-Fe(IV)(L(+•))═O species exhibit remarkable reactivity. In this Account, we describe the catalytic applications of μ-nitrido diiron complexes in the oxidation of methane and benzene, in the transformation of aromatic C-F bonds under oxidative conditions, in oxidative dechlorination, and in the formation of C-C bonds. Importantly, all of these reactions can be performed under mild and clean conditions with high conversions and turnover numbers. μ-Nitrido diiron species retain their binuclear structure during catalysis and show the same mechanistic features (e.g., (18)O labeling, formation of benzene epoxide, and NIH shift in aromatic oxidation) as the enzymes operating via high-valent iron-oxo species. μ-Nitrido diiron complexes can react with perfluorinated aromatics under oxidative conditions, while the strongest oxidizing enzymes cannot. Advanced spectroscopic, labeling, and reactivity studies have confirmed the involvement of high-valent diiron-oxo species in these catalytic reactions. Computational studies have shed light on the origin of the remarkable catalytic properties, distinguishing the Fe-N-Fe scaffold from Fe-C-Fe and Fe-O-Fe analogues. X-ray absorption and emission spectroscopies assisted with DFT calculations allow deeper insight into the electronic structure of these particular complexes. Besides the novel chemistry involved, iron phthalocyanines are cheap and readily available in bulk quantities, suggesting high application potential. A variety of macrocyclic ligands can be used in combination with different transition metals to accommodate M-N-M platform and to tune their electronic and catalytic properties. The structural simplicity and flexibility of μ-nitrido dimers make them promising catalysts for many challenging reactions.

Site-selective formation of an iron(iv)-oxo species at the more electron-rich iron atom of heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron phthalocyanines

A combination of MS and computation on μ-nitrido bridged diiron complexes reveals H₂O₂ binding to the complex and generates an oxidant capable of oxidizing methane.

Iron(iv)–oxo species have been identified as the active intermediates in key enzymatic processes, and their catalytic properties are strongly affected by the equatorial and axial ligands bound to the metal, but details of these effects are still unresolved. In our aim to create better and more efficient oxidants of H-atom abstraction reactions, we have investigated a unique heteroleptic diiron phthalocyanine complex. We propose a novel intramolecular approach to determine the structural features that govern the catalytic activity of iron(iv)–oxo sites. Heteroleptic μ-nitrido diiron phthalocyanine complexes having an unsubstituted phthalocyanine (Pc1) and a phthalocyanine ligand substituted with electron-withdrawing alkylsulfonyl groups (PcSO₂R) were prepared and characterized. A reaction with terminal oxidants gives two isomeric iron(iv)–oxo and iron(iii)–hydroperoxo species with abundances dependent on the equatorial ligand. Cryospray ionization mass spectrometry (CSI-MS) characterized both hydroperoxo and diiron oxo species in the presence of H₂O₂. When m-CPBA was used as the oxidant, the formation of diiron oxo species (PcSO₂R)FeNFe(Pc1) Created by potrace 1.16, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2019 ]]> O was also evidenced. Sufficient amounts of these transient species were trapped in the quadrupole region of the mass-spectrometer and underwent a CID-MS/MS fragmentation. Analyses of fragmentation patterns indicated a preferential formation of hydroperoxo and oxo moieties at more electron-rich iron sites of both heteroleptic μ-nitrido complexes. DFT calculations show that both isomers are close in energy. However, the analysis of the iron(iii)–hydroperoxo bond strength reveals major differences for the (Pc1)FeN(PcSO₂R)Fe^IIIOOH system as compared to (PcSO₂R)FeN(Pc1)Fe^IIIOOH system, and, hence binding of a terminal oxidant will be preferentially on more electron-rich sides. Subsequent kinetics studies showed that these oxidants are able to even oxidize methane to formic acid efficiently.

Synthesis and characterization of μ-nitrido, μ-carbido and μ-oxo dimers of iron octapropylporphyrazine

The structural and electronic properties of single-atom bridged diiron macrocyclic complexes are determined by the nature of the bridge.

Oxidation of methane by an N-bridged high-valent diiron–oxo species: electronic structure implications on the reactivity

Methane activation by dinuclear high-valent iron–oxo species: do we need two metals to activate such inert bonds? Our theoretical study using DFT methods where electronic structure details and mechanistic aspects are established answers this intriguing question.