Redox-inactive metal ions play pivotal roles in regulating the reactivities of high-valent metal-oxo species in a variety of enzymatic and chemical reactions. A mononuclear non-heme Mn(IV)-oxo complex bearing a pentadentate N5 ligand has been synthesized and used in the synthesis of a Mn(IV)-oxo complex binding scandium ions. The Mn(IV)-oxo complexes were characterized with various spectroscopic methods. The reactivities of the Mn(IV)-oxo complex are markedly influenced by binding of Sc(3+) ions in oxidation reactions, such as a ~2200-fold increase in the rate of oxidation of thioanisole (i.e., oxygen atom transfer) but a ~180-fold decrease in the rate of C-H bond activation of 1,4-cyclohexadiene (i.e., hydrogen atom transfer). The present results provide the first example of a non-heme Mn(IV)-oxo complex binding redox-inactive metal ions that shows a contrasting effect of the redox-inactive metal ions on the reactivities of metal-oxo species in the oxygen atom transfer and hydrogen atom transfer reactions.

A mononuclear non-heme manganese(IV)-oxo complex has been synthesized and characterized using various spectroscopic methods. The Mn(IV)-oxo complex shows high reactivity in oxidation reactions, such as C-H bond activation, oxidations of olefins, alcohols, sulfides, and aromatic compounds, and N-dealkylation. In C-H bond activation, the Mn(IV)-oxo complex can activate C-H bonds as strong as those in cyclohexane. It is proposed that C-H bond activation by the non-heme Mn(IV)-oxo complex does not occur via an oxygen-rebound mechanism. The electrophilic character of the non-heme Mn(IV)-oxo complex is demonstrated by a large negative ρ value of -4.4 in the oxidation of para-substituted thioanisoles.

One and two scandium ions (Sc3+) are bound strongly to nonheme manganese(IV)–oxo complexes, [(N4Py)MnIV(O)]2+ (N4Py = N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine) and [(Bn-TPEN)MnIV(O)]2+ (Bn-TPEN = N-benzyl-N,N′,N′-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,2-diaminoethane), to form MnIV(O)–(Sc3+)1 and MnIV(O)–(Sc3+)2 complexes, respectively. The binding of Sc3+ ions to the MnIV(O) complexes was examined by spectroscopic methods as well as by DFT calculations. The one-electron reduction potentials of the MnIV(O) complexes were markedly shifted to a positive direction by binding of Sc3+ ions. Accordingly, rates of the electron transfer reactions of the MnIV(O) complexes were enhanced as much as 107–fold by binding of two Sc3+ ions. The driving force dependence of electron transfer from various electron donors to the MnIV(O) and MnIV(O)–(Sc3+)2 complexes was examined and analyzed in light of the Marcus theory of electron transfer to determine the reorganization energies of electron transfer. The smaller reorganization energies and much more positive reduction potentials of the MnIV(O)–(Sc3+)2 complexes resulted in remarkable enhancement of the electron-transfer reactivity of the MnIV(O) complexes. Such a dramatic enhancement of the electron-transfer reactivity of the MnIV(O) complexes by binding of Sc3+ ions resulted in the change of mechanism in the sulfoxidation of thioanisoles by MnIV(O) complexes from a direct oxygen atom transfer pathway without metal ion binding to an electron-transfer pathway with binding of Sc3+ ions.

First-row transition metal-based catalysts have been developed for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during the past years, however, such catalysts typically operate at overpotentials (η) significantly above thermodynamic requirements. Here, we report an iron/ nickel terephthalate coordination polymer on nickel form (NiFeCP/NF) as catalyst for OER, in which both coordinated and uncoordinated carboxylates were maintained after electrolysis. NiFeCP/NF exhibits outstanding electro-catalytic OER activity with a low overpotential of 188 mV at 10 mA cm −2 in 1.0 KOH, with a small Tafel slope and excellent stability. The pHindependent OER activity of NiFeCP/NF on the reversible hydrogen electrode scale suggests that a concerted proton-coupled electron transfer (c-PET) process is the rate-determining step (RDS) during water oxidation. Deuterium kinetic isotope effects, proton inventory studies and atom-proton-transfer measurements indicate that the uncoordinated carboxylates are serving as the proton transfer relays, with a similar function as amino acid residues in photosystem II (PSII), accelerating the proton-transfer rate.

The hydroxylation of alkanes by heme Fe(IV)O species occurs via the hydrogen abstraction/oxygen rebound mechanism. It has been assumed that non-heme Fe(IV)O species follow the heme Fe(IV)O paradigm in C-H bond activation reactions. Herein we report theoretical and experimental evidence that C-H bond activation of alkanes by synthetic non-heme Fe(IV)O complexes follows an alternative mechanism. Theoretical calculations predicted that dissociation of the substrate radical formed via hydrogen abstraction from the alkane is more favorable than the oxygen rebound and desaturation processes. This theoretical prediction was verified by experimental results obtained by analyzing iron and organic products formed in the C-H bond activation of substrates by non-heme Fe(IV)O complexes. The difference in the behaviors of heme and non-heme Fe(IV)O species is ascribed to differences in structural preference and exchange-enhanced reactivity. Thus, the general consensus that C-H bond activation by high-valent metal-oxo species, including non-heme Fe(IV)O, occurs via the conventional hydrogen abstraction/oxygen rebound mechanism should be viewed with caution.