The alkyldiazenes RN = NH (R = CH3 or CzHs) react with reduced microsomal cytochrome P450 leading to complexes exhibiting a Soret peak at 446 nm. Upon oxidation of the [cytochrome P450-Fe(II)(CH3N = NH)] complex with limited amounts of dioxygen, a new complex characterized by a Soret peak at 486 nm is formed. The latter complex was also formed upon slow reaction of methyldiazene with microsomal cytochrome P450-Fe(III) or in situ oxidation of methylhydrazine by limited amounts of O2 or ferricyanide. This complex is rapidly destroyed by 0 2 or ferricyanide in excess and more slowly by excess dithionite in the presence of CO.Reactions of ethyldiazene or benzyldiazene with cytochrome P450-Fe(I 11) afforded similar complexes characterized by Soret peaks around 480 nm.These results, when compared to those recently described on reactions of monosubstituted hydrazines RNHNH2 and diazenes R N = N H with hemoglobin and iron-porphyrins, are consistent with a [cytochrome P450-Fe(II)(RN = NH)] structure for the 446-nm-absorbing complexes and a a-alkyl cytochrome P450-Fe(III)-R structure for the complexes characterized by a Soret peak around 480 nm. They also suggest a a-cytochrome P450-Fe(III)-Ph structure for the complex derived from phenylhydrazine oxidation, recently described in the literature. Finally, they provide the first evidence that cytochrome P450-Fe(III)-R complexes are formed upon microsomal oxidation of alkyl or phenylhydrazines. PFe"The dioxygen-dependent oxidation of monosubstituted hydrazines in the presence of iron-porphyrins has been recently studied [I51 and the successive formation of two ironligand complexes in the reaction has been established (Scheme 1). The first complex derives from the binding of the diazene RN = NH, the two-electron oxidation product of the starting hydrazine RNHNH2, to the iron(I1)-porphyrin. The second complex is the o-alkyl (or a-aryl) porphyriniron(II1)-R complex which is formed by a one-electron oxidation of the didzene-iron(1I) complex. The iron(II1)-methyl