Inorganic Chemistry
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temperature stability of 52+ suggests that it is not the oxidizing
species itself but rather a precursor to a transient high-valent
species Y, which is too reactive to be detected even at −80 °C.
On the other hand, protonation of 42 strongly accelerates the
ligand exchange with H O , presumable forming a hydro-
unequivocally demonstrate that the formate in 13+ originates
from the oxidation of CH OH initiated by formation of the
3
2+
18
peroxo complex 5 . Moreover, O incorporation in formate
+
18
2+
from the μ- O-bridged 5 cannot be explained by this peroxo
2+
5
or corresponding hydroperoxo species as the active species.
2
2
2
6,28,41
2+
peroxo species,
active oxidant Y and the formato-bridged 1 .
which on a fast time scale generates the
Thus, 5 must rearrange into the active oxidant Y, which has
two oxygen atoms that can be transferred onto the substrate:
one originating from H O and one from the oxo bridge. The
3+
Isotope-Labeling Studies. To further substantiate the
2
2
proposed reaction scheme, we performed isotopic labeling
latter suggests that the active oxidant Y is a high-valent species
13
IV IV
experiments. Performing the reaction in CH OH shifted the
favoring the formation of a transient Fe Fe intermediate.
3
2+
11,12
2+
main signal in CSI-MS for 4 from m/z 364.1275 to 365.1311,
In analogy to MMO,
the peroxo complex 5 can
−
convert to either a “closed” core intermediate, [(susan)-
3
IV
IV 4+
4+
{Fe (μ-O) Fe }] (6 ), or an “open” core intermediate,
2
2
2
1
3
IV
IV
2+
2+
resulted in the formato species [(susan){Fe(O CH )(μ-
[(susan){Fe (O)(μ-O)Fe (O)}] (7b ; Figure 5). Consid-
3
1
3
2+
18
2
ering the “closed” core structure, the use of H O results via
peroxo species 5a2+ to the oxidant 6 with one μ- O
4+
18
(
{
4
2
+
13
18
2
C
incorporated. The same species results by the use of H O via
4
2
peroxo species 5b2+ after O− O splitting. Both oxo bridges
18
18
incorporation (m/z 405.5843 in Figure S18). The only
unshifted signal is m/z 349.1038, proving its assignment to
the peroxo complex 5 , which contains no solvent-based
ligand.
can be incorporated in formate, consistent with the observation
2+
16
16 18
18
of both μ- O CH and μ- O OCH. In the H O -labeling
2
2
2
1
2
6
18
experiment, the ratio of H O/H2 O is 616:1, with 1 equiv of
Using the commercially available 2% H218O2 solutions
18
18
18
H2 O resulting from splitting of the O− O bond. The
1
2
6
18
3+
3+
increased the H O content significantly, so that CSI-MS
excess of H O exchanges μ- O in 1a , resulting in 1d . In
2
1
8
16
measurements were not possible because of plugging of the
spray needle by strong ice formation. Therefore, we performed
experiments using 1(ClO ) obtained from bulk synthesis with
the H2 O-labeling experiment, there is still enough H O
2
3+
present in solution, so that also some unlabeled 1d can be
detected.
4
3
1
8
18
Considering an “open core” 7 , the reaction with H218O2
2+
labeled H2 O and H2 O (see the SI for details). CSI-MS
2
2+
18
experiments in CH CN at −40 °C on unlabeled samples
would generate 7b , whereas the reaction with H O would
3
2
showed peaks for 13 at m/z 237.0711 and for {1(ClO )} at
+
2+
IV 16
18
IV 16
2+
2+
result in [(susan){Fe ( O)(μ- O)Fe ( O)}] (7a ).
Under the highly probable assumption that only the terminal
oxo ligands can be incorporated into the formato bridge, one
would expect the formation of only μ-HC O O (1b ) from
the reaction with H and μ-HC O
reaction with H O. The formation of other observed
2
4
m/z 405.0814 (Figure S19). Samples prepared with H218O2
2% in H2 O) showed additional peaks at m/z 237.7384 and
1
6
(
1
8
18 16
3+
O
1
2
8
16
3+
O
2
2
(1a ) from the
1
8
18
O was incorporated only in formate because, after formate
16
isotopically labeled products through the “open core” pathway
would require a scrambling between terminal and bridging oxo
ligands.
release, only a μ- O species was present, whereas after release
18
16
16
2
monodeprotonated upon the release of formate and doubly
deprotonated upon release of the oxo dianion. Thus, it can be
concluded that stable dinuclear species exist with the highest
SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
We have carefully studied the catalytic oxidation of CH OH
■
3
1
8
overall charge of 3+. In summary, the reaction with H O in
with H O to HCHO, HCO H, and CO by a dinuclear iron
2
2
2
2
2
2
16
the presence of excess H O results in the formation of
Fe(μ- O)(μ- O OCH)Fe} (1b ) and {Fe(μ- O)-
complex. The electrocatalytic oxidation of CH OH to CO is
2
3
2
1
6
18 16
3+
16
42,43
{
the basis for the direct CH OH fuel cell.
The
3
1
6
3+
(μ- O CH)Fe} (1d ; Figure 5, left).
homogeneous catalytic oxidation of CH OH to HCHO has
2
3
Samples prepared with H O in H216O dissolved in H218O
final H2 O:H O = 26:1) provided in the addition to peaks
results for {1(ClO )} in Figure S21c), which accounts for the
16
2
2
been established for copper(II) phenoxyl radical models of the
1
8
16
2
44−47
(
enzyme galactose oxidase.
The application of homoge-
1
6
neous Fe catalysts for the oxidation of CH OH has rarely been
3
1
8
3+
reported. Lecomte and Bolm reported the combination of
[Fe(acac) ] with H O to oxidize CH OH to HCHO that is
1
8
3
2
2
3
2+
48
used in situ for an Aldol coupling.
4
fact that oxygen from water was incorporated as an oxo atom
To the best of our knowledge, we have in detail investigated
for the first time the homogeneous catalytic oxidation of
1
8
16
CH OH by a high-valent diiron complex and obtained
3
1
6
and μ- O CH species (resulting from removal of an oxo
μ- O species (resulting from removal of a formate bridge;
mechanistic insight into the nature of the active oxidant and
1
6
2+
the influence of the protonation state. The complex 4 reacts
1
8
2+
with H O to the peroxo complex 5 . Without protonation,
2
2
3+
−
exchange of the CH O ligands is slow, while its protonation
3
1
8
1 6
3 +
1 8
{
(
Fe(μ- O)(μ- O CH)Fe} (1a ), {Fe(μ- O)-
accelerates exchange even at −80 °C. Furthermore, the
protonation state affects the half-life of the peroxo
intermediate: without protonation, the μ-peroxo intermediate
converts slower to the active oxidant Y than in the protonated,
2
1
8
16
3+
16
16 18
μ- O OCH)} (1c ), and {Fe(μ- O)(μ- O OCH)Fe}
3
+
(
1b ) were formed as the parent species.
These experiments clearly show that the μ-oxo atom, as well
2
6,28,41
as one oxygen from peroxide (obtained after O−O bond
presumably a μ-hydroperoxo, form.
The highly reactive
3
1
8
splitting), is able to be transferred to CH OH and
oxidant Y initiates the oxidation of CH OH. O-labeling
3
E
Inorg. Chem. XXXX, XXX, XXX−XXX