Two new pentadentate {N5} donor ligands based on the N4Py (N4Py = N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine) framework have been synthesized, viz. [N-(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl)methyl-N-(2-pyridyl)methyl-N-(bis-2-pyridyl methyl)amine] (L(1)) and [N-bis(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl)methyl-N-(bis-2-pyridylmethyl)amine] (L(2)), where one or two pyridyl arms of N4Py have been replaced by corresponding (N-methyl)benzimidazolyl-containing arms. The complexes [Fe(II)(CH3CN)(L)](2+) (L = L(1) (1); L(2) (2)) were synthesized, and reaction of these ferrous complexes with iodosylbenzene led to the formation of the ferryl complexes [Fe(IV)(O)(L)](2+) (L = L(1) (3); L(2) (4)), which were characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, high resolution mass spectrometry, and Mössbauer spectroscopy. Complexes 3 and 4 are relatively stable with half-lives at room temperature of 40 h (L = L(1)) and 2.5 h (L = L(2)). The redox potentials of 1 and 2, as well as the visible spectra of 3 and 4, indicate that the ligand field weakens as ligand pyridyl substituents are progressively substituted by (N-methyl)benzimidazolyl moieties. The reactivities of 3 and 4 in hydrogen-atom transfer (HAT) and oxygen-atom transfer (OAT) reactions show that both complexes exhibit enhanced reactivities when compared to the analogous N4Py complex ([Fe(IV)(O)(N4Py)](2+)), and that the normalized HAT rates increase by approximately 1 order of magnitude for each replacement of a pyridyl moiety; i.e., [Fe(IV)(O)(L(2))](2+) exhibits the highest rates. The second-order HAT rate constants can be directly related to the substrate C-H bond dissociation energies. Computational modeling of the HAT reactions indicates that the reaction proceeds via a high spin transition state.

A new iron complex mediates stereospecific hydroxylation of alkyl C-H bonds with hydrogen peroxide, exhibiting excellent efficiency. Isotope labelling studies provide evidence that the relative reactivity of tautomerically related oxo-iron species responsible for the C-H hydroxylation reaction is dominated by steric factors.

A new chiral Fe(ii)-complex mediates the asymmetric epoxidation of prochiral olefins with good enantioselectivity.

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A bis(μ-phenoxo)-bridged dicopper(ii) complex capable of oxidizing catechol with the highest efficiency amongst any bis(μ-phenoxo)-bridged dicopper(ii) complexes is reported.

Abstract. The dinuclear complex [Zn 2 (papy) 2 ]·2CH 3 OH [H 2 papy = N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N-(2-picolyl)glycine] was synthesized and characterized. The crystal structure of the complex reveals that both Zn II ions are pentacoordinate with distorted pentagonal bipyramidal coordination arrangements. The phenoxyl groups of each ligand bridge the two metal atoms, whereas each carboxylate of the ligand is terminally bound to one Zn II ion. Potentiometric studies of the Zn II :H 2 papy system in a methanol/water mixture show the existence of a mononuclear

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