Ferric tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (TAML)-based catalysts [Fe{C(6)H(4)-1,2-(NCOCMe(2)NCO)(2)CR(2)}(OH(2))]PPh(4) [1; R = Me (a), Et (b)] are oxidized by m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid at -40 °C in acetonitrile containing trace water in two steps to form Fe(V)oxo complexes (2a,b). These uniquely authenticated Fe(V)(O) species comproportionate with the Fe(III) starting materials 1a,b to give μ-oxo-(Fe(IV))(2) dimers. The comproportionation of 1a-2a is faster and that of 1b-2b is slower than the oxidation by 2a,b of sulfides (p-XC(6)H(4)SMe) to sulfoxides, highlighting a remarkable steric control of the dynamics. Sulfide oxidation follows saturation kinetics in [p-XC(6)H(4)SMe] with electron-rich substrates (X = Me, H), but changes to linear kinetics with electron-poor substrates (X = Cl, CN) as the sulfide affinity for iron decreases. As the sulfide becomes less basic, the Fe(IV)/Fe(III) ratio at the end of reaction for 2b suggests a decreasing contribution of concerted oxygen-atom transfer (Fe(V) → Fe(III)) concomitant with increasing electron transfer oxidation (Fe(V) → Fe(IV)). Fe(V) is more reactive toward PhSMe than Fe(IV) by 4 orders of magnitude, a gap even larger than that known for peroxidase Compounds I and II. The findings reinforce prior work typecasting TAML activators as faithful peroxidase mimics.

The results of low-temperature investigations of the oxidations of 9,10-dihydroanthracene, cumene, ethylbenzene, [D10]ethylbenzene, cyclooctane, and cyclohexane by an iron(V)-oxo TAML complex (2; see Figure 1) are presented, including product identification and determination of the second-order rate constants k2 in the range 233-243 K and the activation parameters (ΔH(≠) and ΔS(≠)). Statistically normalized k2 values (log k2') correlate linearly with the C-H bond dissociation energies DC-H, but ΔH(≠) does not. The point for 9,10-dihydroanthracene for the ΔH(≠) vs. DC-H correlation lies markedly off a common straight line of best fit for all other hydrocarbons, suggesting it proceeds via an alternate mechanism than the rate-limiting C-H bond homolysis promoted by 2. Contribution from an electron-transfer pathway may be substantial for 9,10-dihydroanthracene. Low-temperature kinetic measurements with ethylbenzene and [D10]ethylbenzene reveal a kinetic isotope effect of 26, indicating tunneling. The tunnel effect is drastically reduced at 0 °C and above, although it is an important feature of the reactivity of TAML activators at lower temperatures. The diiron(IV) μ-oxo dimer that is often a common component of the reaction medium involving 2 also oxidizes 9,10-dihydroanthracene, although its reactivity is three orders of magnitude lower than that of 2.

A highly efficient catalytic asymmetric alkynylation of prochiral CH2 groups in tetrahydroisoquinoline was developed using copper catalyzed cross-dehydrogenative-coupling of sp3 and sp C–H bonds with the assistance of a photocatalyst and visible light.

TAML and H2O2remove toxic nitrophenol pollutants producing innocuous minerals. Mechanistic studies reveal the substrate inhibition due to the reversible binding of nitrophenolate to iron(iii) of the TAML resting state.