A diiron(IV) complex that cleaves strong C-H and O-H bonds.

ABSTRACT: The controlled cleavage of strong C-H bonds like those of methane poses a significant challenge for chemists. In nature methane is oxidized to methanol by soluble methane monooxygenase via a diiron(IV) intermediate called Q. To model the chemistry of MMO-Q, an oxo-bridged diiron(IV) complex has been generated by electrochemical oxidation and characterized by several spectroscopic methods. This novel species has an Fe(IV/III) redox potential of +1.50 V vs. ferrocene (>2 V vs. NHE), the highest value thus far determined electrochemically for an iron complex. This species is quite an effective oxidant. It can attack C-H bonds as strong as 100 kcal mol(-1) and reacts with cyclohexane a hundred- to a thousand-fold faster than mononuclear Fe(IV)=O complexes of closely related ligands. Strikingly

SUBMITTER: Wang D 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2744316 | biostudies-literature | 2009 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature