Influence of Thiolate versus Alkoxide Ligands on the Stability of Crystallographically Characterized Mn(III)-Alkylperoxo Complexes

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.

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.

Oxygen Evolution/Reduction Reaction Catalysts: From In Situ Monitoring and Reaction Mechanisms to Rational Design

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) are core steps of various energy conversion and storage systems. However, their sluggish reaction kinetics, i.e., the demanding multielectron transfer processes, still render OER/ORR catalysts less efficient for practical applications. Moreover, the complexity of the catalyst-electrolyte interface makes a comprehensive understanding of the intrinsic OER/ORR mechanisms challenging. Fortunately, recent advances of in situ/operando characterization techniques have facilitated the kinetic monitoring of catalysts under reaction conditions. Here we provide selected highlights of recent in situ/operando mechanistic studies of OER/ORR catalysts with the main emphasis placed on heterogeneous systems (primarily discussing first-row transition metals which operate under basic conditions), followed by a brief outlook on molecular catalysts. Key sections in this review are focused on determination of the true active species, identification of the active sites, and monitoring of the reactive intermediates. For in-depth insights into the above factors, a short overview of the metrics for accurate characterizations of OER/ORR catalysts is provided. A combination of the obtained time-resolved reaction information and reliable activity data will then guide the rational design of new catalysts. Strategies such as optimizing the restructuring process as well as overcoming the adsorption-energy scaling relations will be discussed. Finally, pending current challenges and prospects toward the understanding and development of efficient heterogeneous catalysts and selected homogeneous catalysts are presented.

Electronic Structure and Reactivity of Dioxygen-Derived Aliphatic Thiolate-Ligated Fe-Peroxo and Fe(IV) Oxo Compounds

Herein, we examine the electronic and geometric structural properties of O₂-derived aliphatic thiolate-ligated Fe-peroxo, Fe-hydroxo, and Fe(IV) oxo compounds. The latter cleaves strong C-H bonds (96 kcal mol^-1) on par with the valine C-H bond cleaved by isopencillin N synthase (IPNS). Stopped-flow kinetics studies indicate that the barrier to O₂ binding to [Fe^II(S^Me2N₄(tren))]⁺ (3) is extremely low (E_a = 36(2) kJ mol^-1), as theoretically predicted for IPNS. Dioxygen binding to 3 is shown to be reversible, and a superoxo intermediate, [Fe^III(S^Me2N₄(tren))(O₂)]⁺ (6), forms in the first 25 ms of the reaction at -40 °C prior to the rate-determining (E_a = 46(2) kJ mol^-1) formation of peroxo-bridged [(S^Me2N₄(tren))Fe(III)]₂(μ-O₂)²⁺ (7). A log(k_obs) vs log([Fe]) plot for the formation of 7 is consistent with the second-order dependence on iron, and H₂O₂ assays are consistent with a 2:1 ratio of Fe/H₂O₂. Peroxo 7 is shown to convert to ferric-hydroxo [Fe^III(S^Me2N(tren))(OH)]⁺ (9, g_⊥ = 2.24, g_∥ = 1.96), the identity of which was determined via its independent synthesis. Rates of the conversion 7 → 9 are shown to be dependent on the X-H bond strength of the H-atom donor, with a k_H/k_D = 4 when CD₃OD is used in place of CH₃OH as a solvent. A crystallographically characterized cis thiolate-ligated high-valent iron oxo, [Fe^IV(O)(S^Me2N₄(tren))]⁺ (11), is shown to form en route to hydroxo 9. Electronic structure calculations were shown to be consistent with 11 being an S = 1 Fe(IV)═O with an unusually high ν_Fe-O stretching frequency at 918 cm^-1 in line with the extremely short Fe-O bond (1.603(7) Å).

Mimicking Elementary Reactions of Manganese Lipoxygenase Using Mn-hydroxo and Mn-alkylperoxo Complexes

Manganese lipoxygenase (MnLOX) is an enzyme that converts polyunsaturated fatty acids to alkyl hydroperoxides. In proposed mechanisms for this enzyme, the transfer of a hydrogen atom from a substrate C-H bond to an active-site Mn^III-hydroxo center initiates substrate oxidation. In some proposed mechanisms, the active-site Mn^III-hydroxo complex is regenerated by the reaction of a Mn^III-alkylperoxo intermediate with water by a ligand substitution reaction. In a recent study, we described a pair of Mn^III-hydroxo and Mn^III-alkylperoxo complexes supported by the same amide-containing pentadentate ligand (^6Medpaq). In this present work, we describe the reaction of the Mn^III-hydroxo unit in C-H and O-H bond oxidation processes, thus mimicking one of the elementary reactions of the MnLOX enzyme. An analysis of kinetic data shows that the Mn^III-hydroxo complex [Mn^III(OH)(^6Medpaq)]⁺ oxidizes TEMPOH (2,2′-6,6′-tetramethylpiperidine-1-ol) faster than the majority of previously reported Mn^III-hydroxo complexes. Using a combination of cyclic voltammetry and electronic structure computations, we demonstrate that the weak Mn^III-N(pyridine) bonds lead to a higher Mn^III/II reduction potential, increasing the driving force for substrate oxidation reactions and accounting for the faster reaction rate. In addition, we demonstrate that the Mn^III-alkylperoxo complex [Mn^III(OO^tBu)(^6Medpaq)]⁺ reacts with water to obtain the corresponding Mn^III-hydroxo species, thus mimicking the ligand substitution step proposed for MnLOX.

Characterization and chemical reactivity of room-temperature-stable MnIII-alkylperoxo complexes

While alkylperoxomanganese(iii) (MnIII-OOR) intermediates are proposed in the catalytic cycles of several manganese-dependent enzymes, their characterization has proven to be a challenge due to their inherent thermal instability. Fundamental understanding of the structural and electronic properties of these important intermediates is limited to a series of complexes with thiolate-containing N4S- ligands. These well-characterized complexes are metastable yet unreactive in the direct oxidation of organic substrates. Because the stability and reactivity of MnIII-OOR complexes are likely to be highly dependent on their local coordination environment, we have generated two new MnIII-OOR complexes using a new amide-containing N5 - ligand. Using the 2-(bis((6-methylpyridin-2-yl)methyl)amino)-N-(quinolin-8-yl)acetamide (H6Medpaq) ligand, we generated the [MnIII(OO t Bu)(6Medpaq)]OTf and [MnIII(OOCm)(6Medpaq)]OTf complexes through reaction of their MnII or MnIII precursors with t BuOOH and CmOOH, respectively. Both of the new MnIII-OOR complexes are stable at room-temperature (t 1/2 = 5 and 8 days, respectively, at 298 K in CH3CN) and capable of reacting directly with phosphine substrates. The stability of these MnIII-OOR adducts render them amenable for detailed characterization, including by X-ray crystallography for [MnIII(OOCm)(6Medpaq)]OTf. Thermal decomposition studies support a decay pathway of the MnIII-OOR complexes by O-O bond homolysis. In contrast, direct reaction of [MnIII(OOCm)(6Medpaq)]+ with PPh3 provided evidence of heterolytic cleavage of the O-O bond. These studies reveal that both the stability and chemical reactivity of MnIII-OOR complexes can be tuned by the local coordination sphere.

Manganese-promoted cleavage of acetylacetonate resembling the β-diketone cleaving dioxygenase (Dke1) reactivity

We here report a manganese-based oxidative cleavage of inactivated acetylacetonate, the mechanistic pathway of which resembles Dke1-catalyzed reactions of β-diketone and α-keto acid. This oxidative transformation proceeds through an acetylacetonate-pyruvate-oxalate pathway, which can be terminated at the stage of pyruvate through ligand/solvent variation. XRD, time-dependent GC-MS, and isotope-labeling studies suggested that our system represents the same cleaving specificity and dioxygenase-like reactivity of Dke1.