Bhattacharya S, Singh R, Paine TK. Effect of Ligand Fields on the Reactivity of O
2 -Activating Iron(II)-
Benzilate Complexes of Neutral N5 Donor Ligands.
Chem Asian J 2020;
15:1360-1368. [PMID:
32141712 DOI:
10.1002/asia.202000142]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2020] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Three new iron(II)-benzilate complexes [(N4Py)FeII (benzilate)]ClO4 (1), [(N4PyMe2 )FeII (benzilate)]ClO4 (2) and [(N4PyMe4 )FeII (benzilate)]ClO4 (3) of neutral pentadentate nitrogen donor ligands have been isolated and characterized to study their dioxygen reactivity. Single-crystal X-ray structures reveal a mononuclear six-coordinate iron(II) center in each case, where benzilate binds to the iron center in monodentate mode via one carboxylate oxygen. Introduction of methyl groups in the 6-positions of the pyridine rings makes the N4PyMe2 and N4PyMe4 ligand fields weaker compared to that of the parent N4Py ligand. All the complexes (1-3) react with dioxygen to decarboxylate the coordinated benzilate to benzophenone quantitatively. The decarboxylation is faster for the complex of the more sterically hindered ligand and follows the order 3>2>1. The complexes display oxygen atom transfer reactivity to thioanisole and also exhibit hydrogen atom transfer reactions with substrates containing weak C-H bonds. Based on interception studies with external substrates, labelling experiments and Hammett analysis, a nucleophilic iron(II)-hydroperoxo species is proposed to form upon two-electron reductive activation of dioxygen by each iron(II)-benzilate complex. The nucleophilic oxidants are converted to the corresponding electrophilic iron(IV)-oxo oxidant upon treatment with a protic acid. The high-spin iron(II)-benzilate complex with the weakest ligand field results in the formation of a more reactive iron-oxygen oxidant.
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