Mechanism Insights of Ethane C–H Bond Activations by Bare [FeIII═O]+: Explicit Electronic Structure Analysis

Advancing Fenton and photo-Fenton water treatment through the catalyst design

The review is devoted to modern Fenton, photo-Fenton, as well as Fenton-like and photo-Fenton-like reactions with participation of iron species in liquid phase and as heterogeneous catalysts. Mechanisms of these reactions were considered that include hydroxyl radical and oxoferryl species as the reactive intermediates. The barriers in the way of application of these reactions to wastewater treatment were discussed. The following fundamental problems need further research efforts: inclusion of more mechanism steps and quantum calculations of all rate constants lacking in the literature, checking the outer sphere electron transfer contribution, determination of the causes for the key changes in the homogeneous Fenton reaction mechanism with a change in the reagents concentration. The key advances for Fenton reactions implementation for the water treatment are related to tremendous hydrodynamical effects on the catalytic activity, design of ligands for high rate and completeness of mineralization in short time, and design of highly active heterogeneous catalysts. While both homogeneous and heterogeneous Fenton and photo-Fenton systems are open for further improvements, heterogeneous photo-Fenton systems are most promising for practical applications because of the inherent higher catalyst stability. Modern methods of quantum chemistry are expected to play a continuously increasing role in development of such catalysts.

Ta2 +-mediated ammonia synthesis from N2 and H2 at ambient temperature

In a full catalytic cycle, bare Ta₂ ⁺ in the highly diluted gas phase is able to mediate the formation of ammonia in a Haber-Bosch-like process starting from N₂ and H₂ at ambient temperature. This finding is the result of extensive quantum chemical calculations supported by experiments using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance MS. The planar Ta₂N₂ ⁺, consisting of a four-membered ring of alternating Ta and N atoms, proved to be a key intermediate. It is formed in a highly exothermic process either by the reaction of Ta₂ ⁺ with N₂ from the educt side or with two molecules of NH₃ from the product side. In the thermal reaction of Ta₂ ⁺ with N₂, the N≡N triple bond of dinitrogen is entirely broken. A detailed analysis of the frontier orbitals involved in the rate-determining step shows that this unexpected reaction is accomplished by the interplay of vacant and doubly occupied d-orbitals, which serve as both electron acceptors and electron donors during the cleavage of the triple bond of N≡N by the ditantalum center. The ability of Ta₂ ⁺ to serve as a multipurpose tool is further shown by splitting the single bond of H₂ in a less exothermic reaction as well. The insight into the microscopic mechanisms obtained may provide guidance for the rational design of polymetallic catalysts to bring about ammonia formation by the activation of molecular nitrogen and hydrogen at ambient conditions.

On the Mechanisms of Hydrogen-Atom Transfer from Water to the Heteronuclear Oxide Cluster [Ga2 Mg2 O5 ](.+) : Remarkable Electronic Structure Effects

Mechanistic insight into the homolytic cleavage of the O-H bond of water by the heteronuclear oxide cluster [Ga2 Mg2 O5 ](.+) has been derived from state-of-the-art gas-phase experiments in conjunction with quantum chemical calculations. Three pathways have been identified computationally. In addition to the conventional hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) to the radical center of a bridging oxygen atom, two mechanistically distinct proton-coupled electron-transfer (PCET) processes have been identified. The energetically most favored path involves initial coordination of the incoming water ligand to a magnesium atom followed by an intramolecular proton transfer to the lone-pair of the bridging oxygen atom. This step, which is accomplished by an electronic reorganization, generates two structurally equivalent OH groups either of which can be liberated, in agreement with labeling experiments.

Cytochrome P450-catalyzed dealkylation of atrazine by Rhodococcus sp. strain NI86/21 involves hydrogen atom transfer rather than single electron transfer

Cytochrome P450 enzymes are responsible for a multitude of natural transformation reactions. For oxidative N-dealkylation, single electron (SET) and hydrogen atom abstraction (HAT) have been debated as underlying mechanisms. Combined evidence from (i) product distribution and (ii) isotope effects indicate that HAT, rather than SET, initiates N-dealkylation of atrazine to desethyl- and desisopropylatrazine by the microorganism Rhodococcus sp. strain NI86/21. (i) Product analysis revealed a non-selective oxidation at both the αC and βC-atom of the alkyl chain, which is expected for a radical reaction, but not SET. (ii) Normal (13)C and (15)N as well as pronounced (2)H isotope effects (εcarbon: -4.0‰ ± 0.2‰; εnitrogen: -1.4‰ ± 0.3‰, KIEH: 3.6 ± 0.8) agree qualitatively with calculated values for HAT, whereas inverse (13)C and (15)N isotope effects are predicted for SET. Analogous results are observed with the Fe(iv)[double bond, length as m-dash]O model system [5,10,15,20-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphyrin-iron(iii)-chloride + NaIO4], but not with permanganate. These results emphasize the relevance of the HAT mechanism for N-dealkylation by P450.

Methane activation on Fe- and FeO-embedded graphene and boron nitride sheet: role of atomic defects in catalytic activities

The influence of supporting materials, graphene and boron nitride sheets, on the reactivity of Fe and FeO active species have been unravelled by using a dispersion-corrected DFT (PBE-D2) method.

Benchmark study on methanol C-H and O-H bond activation by bare [Fe(IV)O](2+)

We present a high-level computational study on methanol C-H and O-H bond cleavages by bare [Fe(IV)O](2+), as well as benchmarks of various density functional theory (DFT) methods. We considered direct and concerted hydrogen transfer (DHT and CHT) pathways, respectively. The potential energy surfaces were constructed at the CCSD(T)/def2-TZVPP//B3LYP/def2-TZVP level of theory. Mechanistically, (1) the C-H bond cleavage is dominant and the O-H activation only plays minor role on the PESs; (2) the DHT from methyl should be the most practical channel; and (3) electronic structure analysis demonstrates the proton and electron transfer coupling behavior along the reaction coordinates. The solvent effect is evident and plays distinct roles in regulating the two bond activations in different mechanisms during the catalysis. The effect of optimizing the geometries using different density functionals was also studied, showing that it is not meaningful to discuss which DFT method could give the accurate prediction of the geometries, especially for transition structures. Furthermore, the gold-standard CCSD(T) method was used to benchmark 19 different density functionals with different Hartree-Fock exchange fractions. The results revealed that (i) the structural factor plays a minor role in the single point energy (SPE) calculations; (ii) reaction energy prediction is quite challenging for DFT methods; (iii) the mean absolute deviations (MADs) reflect the problematic description of the DFs when dealing with metal oxidation state change, giving a strong correlation on the HF exchange in the DFs. Knowledge from this study should be of great value for computational chemistry, especially for the de novo design of transition metal catalysts.

Large equatorial ligand effects on C-H bond activation by nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complexes

In this article, we present density functional theory (DFT) calculations on the iron(IV)-oxo catalyzed methane C-H activation reactions for complexes in which the Fe(IV)═O core is surrounded by five negatively charged ligands. We found that it follows a hybrid pathway that mixes features of the classical σ- and π-pathways in quintet surfaces. These calculations show that the Fe-O-H arrangement in this hybrid pathway is bent in sharp contrast to the collinear character as observed for the classical quintet σ-pathways before. The calculations have also shown that it is the equatorial ligands that play key roles in tuning the reactivity of Fe(IV)═O complexes. The strong π-donating equatorial ligands employed in the current study cause a weak π(FeO) bond and thereby shift the electronic accepting orbitals (EAO) from the vertically orientated O pz orbital to the horizontally orientated O px. In addition, all the equatorial ligands are small in size and would therefore be expected have small steric effects upon substrate horizontal approaching. Therefore, for the small and strong π-donating equatorial ligands, the collinear Fe-O-H arrangement is not the best choice for the quintet reactivity. This study adds new element to iron(IV)-oxo catalyzed C-H bond activation reactions.

Light alkane oxidation using catalysts prepared by chemical vapour impregnation: tuning alcohol selectivity through catalyst pre-treatment

Heat treating Fe/ZSM-5 under hydrogen leads to high dispersion of Fe species and higher alcohol selectivity in the oxidation of alkanes, as compared to oxygen treated catalysts.

Direct oxidation of methane to methanol on Fe–O modified graphene

The reaction mechanisms of the partial oxidation of methane to methanol over FeO/graphene are unraveled using an advanced DFT approach.

Highly regioselective hydride transfer, oxidative dehydrogenation, and hydrogen-atom abstraction in the thermal gas-phase chemistry of [Zn(OH)]+/C3H8

The metal center of [Zn(OH)]⁺ serves as active site in the regiospecific hydride transfer to generate [i-C₃H₇]⁺ as major product in the reaction with C₃H₈. In the [Zn(OH)]⁺–C₃H₈ system, a high regioselectivity features the remarkable chemoselectivity.

Do Spin State and Spin Density Affect Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reactivity?

The prevalence of hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions in chemical and biological systems has prompted much interest in establishing and understanding the underlying factors that enable this reactivity. Arguments have been advanced that the electronic spin state of the abstractor and/or the spin-density at the abstracting atom are critical for HAT reactivity. This is consistent with the intuition derived from introductory organic chemistry courses. Herein we present an alternative view on the role of spin state and spin-density in HAT reactions. After a brief introduction, the second section introduces a new and simple fundamental kinetic analysis, which shows that unpaired spin cannot be the dominant effect. The third section examines published computational studies of HAT reactions, which indicates that the spin state affects these reactions indirectly, primarily via changes in driving force. The essay concludes with a broader view of HAT reactivity, including indirect effects of spin and other properties on reactivity. It is suggested that some of the controversy in this area may arise from the diversity of HAT reactions and their overlap with proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) reactions.

Partial oxidation of ethane to oxygenates using Fe- and Cu-containing ZSM-5

Iron and copper containing ZSM-5 catalysts are effective for the partial oxidation of ethane with hydrogen peroxide giving combined oxygenate selectivities and productivities of up to 95.2% and 65 mol kgcat(-1) h(-1), respectively. High conversion of ethane (ca. 56%) to acetic acid (ca. 70% selectivity) can be observed. Detailed studies of this catalytic system reveal a complex reaction network in which the oxidation of ethane gives a range of C2 oxygenates, with sequential C-C bond cleavage generating C1 products. We demonstrate that ethene is also formed and can be subsequently oxidized. Ethanol can be directly produced from ethane, and does not originate from the decomposition of its corresponding alkylperoxy species, ethyl hydroperoxide. In contrast to our previously proposed mechanism for methane oxidation over similar zeolite catalysts, the mechanism of ethane oxidation involves carbon-based radicals, which lead to the high conversions we observe.

Significant effect of spin flip on the oxygen atom transfer reaction from (oxo)manganese(V) corroles to thioanisole: insights from density functional calculations

The electronic and structural features of (oxo)manganese(V) corroles and their catalyzed oxygen atom transfers to thioanisole in different spin states have been investigated by the B3LYP functional calculations. Calculations show that these corrole-based oxidants and their complexes with thioanisole generally have the singlet ground state, and their triplet forms are also accessible in consideration of the spin-orbit coupling interaction. Due to strong d-π conjugation interactions between Mn and the corrole ring arising from the π electron donation of the corrole moiety, the five-coordinated Mn approximately has the stable 18-electron configuration. The predicted free energy barriers for the singlet oxygen atom transfer reactions are generally larger than 22 kcal mol(-1), while the spin flip in reaction may remarkably increase the reactivity. In particular, the bromination on β-pyrrole carbon atoms of the meso-substituted (oxo)manganese(V) corrole strikingly enhances the spin-orbit coupling interaction and results in the dramatic increase of reactivity. The multiple spin changes are predicted to be involved in the low-energy reaction pathway. The present results show good agreement with the experimental observation and provide a detailed picture for the oxygen atom transfer reaction induced by the (oxo)manganese(V) corroles.

Chloroperoxidase-catalyzed epoxidation of cis-β-methylstyrene: distal pocket flexibility tunes catalytic reactivity

Chloroperoxidase, the most versatile heme protein, has a hybrid active site pocket that shares structural features with peroxidases and cytochrome P450s. The simulation studies presented here show that the enzyme possesses a remarkable ability to efficiently utilize its hybrid structure, assuming structurally different peroxidase-like and P450-like distal pocket faces and thereby enhancing the inherent catalytic capability of the active center. We find that, during epoxidation of cis-β-methylstyrene (CBMS), the native peroxidase-like aspect of the distal pocket is diminished as the polar Glu183 side chain is displaced away from the active center and the distal pocket takes on a more hydrophobic, P450-like, aspect. The P450-like distal pocket provides a significant enthalpic stabilization of ∼4 kcal/mol of the 14 kcal/mol reaction barrier for gas-phase epoxidation of CMBS by an oxyferryl heme-thiolate species. This stabilization comes from breathing of the distal pocket. As until recently the active site of chloroperoxidase was postulated to be inflexible, these results suggest a new conceptual understanding of the enzyme's versatility: catalytic reactivity is tuned by flexibility of the distal pocket.

How Accurate Can a Local Coupled Cluster Approach Be in Computing the Activation Energies of Late-Transition-Metal-Catalyzed Reactions with Au, Pt, and Ir?

To improve the accuracy of local coupled cluster (LCC) methods in computing activation energies, we propose herein a new computational scheme. Its applications to various types of late-transition-metal-catalyzed reactions involving Au, Pt, and Ir indicate that the new corrective approach for LCC methods can downsize the mean unsigned deviation and maximum deviation, from the CCSD(T)/CBS reference, to about 0.3 and 0.9 kcal/mol. Using this method, we also calibrated the performance of popular density functionals, with respect to the same test set of reactions. It is concluded that the best functional is the general-purpose double hybrid functional B2GP-PLYP. Other well-performing functionals include the "kinetic" functionals M06-2X and BMK, which have a large percentage of HF exchange, and general-purpose functionals like PBE0 and wB97X. Comparatively, general-purpose functionals like PBE0 and TPSSh perform much better than the tested "kinetic" functionals for Pt-/Ir-catalyzed reactions, while the opposite is true for Au-catalyzed reactions. In contrast, wB97X performs more uniformly in these two classes of reactions. These findings hint that even within the scope of late transition metals, different types of reactions may require different types of optimal DFT methods. Empirical dispersion correction of DFT was found to have a small or no effect on the studied reactions barriers.

Correlating DFT-calculated energy barriers to experiments in nonheme octahedral Fe(IV)O species

The experimentally measured bimolecular reaction rate constant, k(2), should in principle correlate with the theoretically calculated rate-limiting free energy barrier, ΔG(≠), through the Eyring equation, but it fails quite often to do so due to the inability of current computational methods to account in a precise manner for all the factors contributing to ΔG(≠). This is further aggravated by the exponential sensitivity of the Eyring equation to these factors. We have taken herein a pragmatic approach for C-H activation reactions of 1,4-cyclohexadiene with a variety of octahedral nonheme Fe(IV)O complexes. The approach consists of empirically determining two constants that would aid in predicting experimental k(2) values uniformly from theoretically calculated electronic energy (ΔE(≠)) values. Shown in this study is the predictive power as well as insights into energy relationships in Fe(IV)O C-H activation reactions. We also find that the difference between ΔG(≠) and ΔE(≠) converges at slow reactions, in a manner suggestive of changes in the importance of the triplet spin state weight in the overall reaction.