The selective oxidation of hydrocarbons is a challenging reaction for synthetic chemists, but common in nature. Iron oxygenases activate the O-O bond of dioxygen to perform oxidation of alkane and alkenes moieties with outstanding levels of regio-, chemo- and stereoselectivity. Along a bioinspired approach, iron coordination complexes which mimic structural and reactivity aspects of the active sites of nonheme iron oxygenases have been explored as oxidation catalysts. This review describes the evolution of this research field, from the early attempts to reproduce the basic reactivity of nonheme iron oxygenases to the development of effective iron oxidation catalysts. The work covers exclusively nonheme iron complexes which rely on HO or O as terminal oxidants. First, it delineates the key steps and the essential catalyst design principles required to activate the peroxide bond at nonheme iron centers without (or at least minimizing) the release of free-diffusing radicals. It follows with a critical description of the mechanistic pathways which govern the reaction between iron complexes and HO to generate the oxidizing species. Eventually, the work presents a state-of-the-art report on the use of these catalysts in aliphatic C-H oxidation, olefin epoxidation and alkene syn-dihydroxylation, under substrate-limiting conditions. A special focus is given on the main strategies elaborated to tune catalyst activity and selectivity by modification of its structure. The work is concluded by a concise discussion on the essential progresses of these oxidation catalysts together with the challenges that remain still to be tackled.

Recognizing Nature’s unique ability to perform challenging oxygenation reactions with exquisite selectivity parameters at iron-dependent oxygenases, chemists have long sought to understand and mimic these enzymatic processes with artificial systems. In the last two decades, replication of the reactivity of non-heme iron oxygenases has become feasible even with simple coordination complexes of iron and manganese. A bona fide minimalistic functional model was the tetradentate-N4 ligand based iron complex [Fe­(tpa)­(CH3CN)2]2+(Fe­(tpa), tpa = tris­(2-methylpyridyl)­amine), which activates H2O2 via a mechanism that mirrors key steps of enzymatic O2 activation processes at mononuclear iron centers: controlled O–O bond cleavage, generation of a high-valent FeO oxidant, and promotion of almost the full spectrum of its oxidative reactivity (C–H hydroxylation, olefin epoxidation, syn-dihydroxylation, and desaturation). These landmark discoveries set the mechanistic framework to use iron coordination complexes with nitrogen-rich ligands as catalysts for oxidizing organic substrates under synthetically relevant conditions. Due to proof-of-concept demonstrations of the potential of these catalysts in organic synthesis, this chemistry has flourished over the past decade. In parallel to the realization of the potential of this class of catalysts in diverse organic transformations, effort has been spent to manipulate the catalyst structure with the aim of tuning both the reactivity and selectivity of the oxidation reactions. This perspective provides an overview of the progress of this research. Some key features of the archetypical Fe­(tpa) catalyst have stayed surprisingly true throughout this evolution, but a series of alterations that modulate its electronic, steric, or binding properties allowed a rational elicitation of a specific reactivity or selectivity. In some cases, the replacement of iron by manganese has also proven beneficial. Overall, the rational optimization of the catalyst structure has enabled the development of highly asymmetric olefin epoxidation, syn-dihydroxylation, and site-selective and even enantioselective C–H oxidation reactions.

Recent advancements in supramolecular catalysis are reviewed, which show the potential of related tools when applied to organic synthesis. Such tools are recognized as innovative instruments that can pave the way to alternative synthetic strategies.

Site-selective C-H functionalization of aliphatic alkyl chains is a longstanding challenge in oxidation catalysis, given the comparable relative reactivity of the different methylenes. A supramolecular, bioinspired approach is described to address this challenge. A Mn complex able to catalyze C(sp )-H hydroxylation with H O is equipped with 18-benzocrown-6 ether receptors that bind ammonium substrates via hydrogen bonding. Reversible pre-association of protonated primary aliphatic amines with the crown ether selectively exposes remote positions (C8 and C9) to the oxidizing unit, resulting in a site-selective oxidation. Remarkably, such control of selectivity retains its efficiency for a whole series of linear amines, overriding the intrinsic reactivity of C-H bonds, no matter the chain length.