Recently, Schlichting et al. [1] have used time-lapse X-ray crystallography to ªphotographº the hydroxylation pathway of camphor by cytochrome P450 cam , which includes the elusive, high-valent iron-oxene species (1 in Scheme 1 a). In response to this exciting work, we present here an extensive density functional theoretical (DFT) investigation of iron ∆ Fe O CysS protoporphyrin IX 1.65 Å 2.3 ± 0.2 Å Fe O L porphyrin a) b) L = HS − , CH 3 S − , CysS − 1 L = HS -(2a), CH 3 S -(2b), CysS -(2c) Scheme 1. Selected X-ray diffraction data for a) the high-valent P450 iron oxene species 1. D indicates the protrusion of the iron center from the porphyrin plane. b) Model systems 2 a ± c.oxene (2 a ± c, Scheme 1 b) with emphasis on geometry, electronic structure, and unusual features of the FeÀS bonding. Thus, while the X-ray diffracting species [1] qualitatively fits iron oxene, its precise geometric data are less certain. For example, the distance between the iron and the proximal ligand, r Fe-S , appears quite short but the value 2.3 AE 0.2 has a significant uncertainty. Another uncertainty, discussed by the authors, [1] is the possible contamination by an additional species. Theory [2] itself has not as yet settled on a value for this distance, which appears to vary between 2.37 ± 2.69 for different models systems and computational levels. [2] An associated issue is the theoretical characterization of the flexibility of the Fe À S linkage in 1 and the role of the thiolate ligand as an internal electron donor. [3] A still uncertain feature of P450 iron oxene is whether it involves a porphyrin cation radical, as in the analogous Compound I species of horseradish peroxidase [4a] and synthetic models, [4b] or, rather, does it possess a sulfur radical situation, [2a,e] or perhaps a resonance hybrid of these forms. [3,5] A related question concerns the spin-state identity; high-spin as in some Compound I species, [4a,b] or low thermochemical energy scale. [15] The more reactive oxoiron porphyrin systems [16] are under current investigation.