Biomimetic Reactivity of Oxygen-Derived Manganese and Iron Porphyrinoid Complexes

Heme proteins utilize the heme cofactor, an iron porphyrin, to perform a diverse range of reactions including dioxygen binding and transport, electron transfer, and oxidation/oxygenations. These reactions share several key metalloporphyrin intermediates, typically derived from dioxygen and its congeners such as hydrogen peroxide. These species are composed of metal-dioxygen, metal-superoxo, metal-peroxo, and metal-oxo adducts. A wide variety of synthetic metalloporphyrinoid complexes have been synthesized to generate and stabilize these intermediates. These complexes have been studied to determine the spectroscopic features, structures, and reactivities of such species in controlled and well-defined environments. In this Review, we summarize recent findings on the reactivity of these species with common porphyrinoid scaffolds employed for biomimetic studies. The proposed mechanisms of action are emphasized. This Review is organized by structural type of metal-oxygen intermediate and broken into subsections based on the metal (manganese and iron) and porphyrinoid ligand (porphyrin, corrole, and corrolazine).

Oxygen atom transfer reactions from sterically encumbered brominated (oxo)manganese(V) corroles to styrene

Seven A3- and trans-A2B manganese(III) corroles (1–7-Mn) differing widely in their electronic and steric features were synthesized and transformed to their corresponding [Formula: see text]-brominated manganese(III) corroles derivatives (1a–7a-Mn). Their corresponding (oxo)manganese(V) corroles 1–7-Mn(oxo) and 1a–7a-Mn(oxo) were further prepapred by treating with iodosylbenzene (PhIO). The reactivity for the oxygen atom transfer from 1–7-Mn(oxo) to styrene followed the order of 1-Mn(oxo) > 2-Mn(oxo) > 7-Mn(oxo) > 4-Mn(oxo) > 3-Mn(oxo) > 6-Mn(oxo) [Formula: see text]5-Mn(oxo). The same pattern was observed for their [Formula: see text]-brominated analogs 1a–7a-Mn(oxo), albeit their reactivity was remarkably higher. The steric protection of [Formula: see text] moiety by ortho–ortho′-dibromophenyl substituents was found to enhance the stability of (oxo)manganese(V) corroles significantly.

Solvent effects on the catalytic activity of manganese(III) corroles

Four Mn ( III ) corroles that differ in their electronic environments based on meso-substitution by pentafluorophenyl and phenyl groups were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques. Utilization of these Mn ( III ) corroles for styrene oxidation using iodosylbenzene (PhIO) as oxygen source in toluene, dichloromethane (DCM), DMF, DMAc, THF and DMSO revealed a remarkable effect of solvent on the catalytic activity. Furthermore, the transformation of Mn ( III ) corroles into their corresponding Mn ( V )-oxo corroles, and subsequent treatment with styrene also indicated that more electron-deficient Mn ( V )-oxo corroles exhibit higher reactivity in toluene and DCM, while less electron-deficient Mn ( V )-oxo corroles exhibit higher reactivity in DMF and DMAc. A significant difference in the observed rates of reaction suggest that the catalytic oxidation of styrene by manganese corroles may proceed through different pathways, and is strongly solvent-dependent.