A CoII-Hydroxide Complex That Converts Directly to a CoII-Acetamide during Catalytic Nitrile Hydration

In exploring structural and functional mimics of nitrile hydratases, we report the synthesis of the pseudo-trigonal bipyramidal CoII complexes (K)[CoII(DMF)(LPh)] (1(DMF)), (NMe4)2[CoII(OAc)(LPh)] (1(OAc)), and (NMe4)2[CoII(OH)(LPh)] (1(OH)) (LPh = 2,2',2''-nitrilo-tris-(N-phenylacetamide; DMF = N,N-dimethylformamide; -OAc = acetate)). The complexes were characterized using NMR, FT-IR, ESI-MS, electronic absorption spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography, showing the LPh ligand to bind in a tetradentate tripodal fashion alongside the respective ancillary donor. One of the complexes, 1(OH), is an unusual structural and functional mimic of the Co active site in Co nitrile hydratases. 1(OH) reacted with acetonitrile to yield the CoII-acetamide complex (NMe4)2[CoII(NHC(O)CH3)(LPh)], 2, which was also thoroughly characterized. In the presence of excess hydroxide, 1(OH) was found to catalyze quantitative conversion of the added hydroxide into acetamide. Despite the differences in Co oxidation state in nitrile hydratases and 1(OH) (CoIII versus CoII, respectively), 1(OH) was nonetheless an effective nitrile hydration catalyst, selectively producing acetamide over multiple turnovers.

Redox Processes Involving Oxygen: The Surprising Influence of Redox-Inactive Lewis Acids

Metalloenzymes with heteromultimetallic active sites perform chemical reactions that control several biogeochemical cycles. Transformations catalyzed by such enzymes include dioxygen generation and reduction, dinitrogen reduction, and carbon dioxide reduction-instrumental transformations for progress in the context of artificial photosynthesis and sustainable fertilizer production. While the roles of the respective metals are of interest in all these enzymatic transformations, they share a common factor in the transfer of one or multiple redox equivalents. In light of this feature, it is surprising to find that incorporation of redox-inactive metals into the active site of such an enzyme is critical to its function. To illustrate, the presence of a redox-inactive Ca2+ center is crucial in the Oxygen Evolving Complex, and yet particularly intriguing given that the transformation catalyzed by this cluster is a redox process involving four electrons. Therefore, the effects of redox inactive metals on redox processes-electron transfer, oxygen- and hydrogen-atom transfer, and O-O bond cleavage and formation reactions-mediated by transition metals have been studied extensively. Significant effects of redox inactive metals have been observed on these redox transformations; linear free energy correlations between Lewis acidity and the redox properties of synthetic model complexes are observed for several reactions. In this Perspective, these effects and their relevance to multielectron processes will be discussed.

New cobalt(ii) coordination designs and the influence of varying chelate characters, ligand charges and incorporated group I metal ions on enzyme-like oxidative coupling activity

In transition-metal-mediated catalysis, design of new, well defined coordination architectures and subjecting them to catalysis testing under the same reaction conditions is a necessity tool for improved understanding of desirable active site geometries and characteristics.

Hydrogen Peroxide Coordination to Cobalt(II) Facilitated by Second-Sphere Hydrogen Bonding

M(H2 O2 ) adducts have been postulated as intermediates in biological and industrial processes; however, only one observable M(H2 O2 ) adduct has been reported, where M is redox-inactive zinc. Herein, direct solution-phase detection of an M(H2 O2 ) adduct with a redox-active metal, cobalt(II), is described. This Co(II) (H2 O2 ) compound is made observable by incorporating second-sphere hydrogen-bonding interactions between bound H2 O2 and the supporting ligand, a trianionic trisulfonamido ligand. Thermodynamics of H2 O2 binding and decay kinetics of the Co(II) (H2 O2 ) species are described, as well as the reaction of this Co(II) (H2 O2 ) species with Group 2 cations.