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Herein, we report the formation of a highly reactive nickel-oxygen species that has been trapped following reaction of a Ni(II) precursor bearing a macrocyclic bis(amidate) ligand with meta-chloroperbenzoic acid (HmCPBA). This compound is only detectable at temperatures below 250 K and is much more reactive toward organic substrates (i.e., C-H bonds, C=C bonds, and sulfides) than previously reported well-defined nickel-oxygen species. Remarkably, this species is formed by heterolytic O-O bond cleavage of a Ni-HmCPBA precursor, which is concluded from experimental and computational data. On the basis of spectroscopy and DFT calculations, this reactive species is proposed to be a Ni(III) -oxyl compound., (© 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

To fully characterize the Co(III)-'nitrene radical' species that are proposed as intermediates in nitrene transfer reactions mediated by cobalt(II) porphyrins, different combinations of cobalt(II) complexes of porphyrins and nitrene transfer reagents were combined, and the generated species were studied using EPR, UV-vis, IR, VCD, UHR-ESI-MS, and XANES/XAFS measurements. Reactions of cobalt(II) porphyrins 1(P1) (P1 = meso-tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP)) and 1(P2) (P2 = 3,5-Di(t)Bu-ChenPhyrin) with organic azides 2(Ns) (NsN3), 2(Ts) (TsN3), and 2(Troc) (TrocN3) led to the formation of mono-nitrene species 3(P1)(Ns), 3(P2)(Ts), and 3(P2)(Troc), respectively, which are best described as [Co(III)(por)(NR″(•-))] nitrene radicals (imidyl radicals) resulting from single electron transfer from the cobalt(II) porphyrin to the 'nitrene' moiety (Ns: R″ = -SO2-p-C6H5NO2; Ts: R″ = -SO2C6H6; Troc: R″ = -C(O)OCH2CCl3). Remarkably, the reaction of 1(P1) with N-nosyl iminoiodane (PhI═NNs) 4(Ns) led to the formation of a bis-nitrene species 5(P1)(Ns). This species is best described as a triple-radical complex [(por(•-))Co(III)(NR″(•-))2] containing three ligand-centered unpaired electrons: two nitrene radicals (NR″(•-)) and one oxidized porphyrin radical (por(•-)). Thus, the formation of the second nitrene radical involves another intramolecular one-electron transfer to the "nitrene" moiety, but now from the porphyrin ring instead of the metal center. Interestingly, this bis-nitrene species is observed only on reacting 4(Ns) with 1(P1). Reaction of the more bulky 1(P2) with 4(Ns) results again in formation of mainly mono-nitrene species 3(P2)(Ns) according to EPR and ESI-MS spectroscopic studies. The mono- and bis-nitrene species were initially expected to be five- and six-coordinate species, respectively, but XANES data revealed that both mono- and bis-nitrene species are six-coordinate O(h) species. The nature of the sixth ligand bound to cobalt(III) in the mono-nitrene case remains elusive, but some plausible candidates are NH3, NH2(-), NsNH(-), and OH(-); NsNH(-) being the most plausible. Conversion of mono-nitrene species 3(P1)(Ns) into bis-nitrene species 5(P1)(Ns) upon reaction with 4(Ns) was demonstrated. Solutions containing 3(P1)(Ns) and 5(P1)(Ns) proved to be still active in catalytic aziridination of styrene, consistent with their proposed key involvement in nitrene transfer reactions mediated by cobalt(II) porphyrins.

Selective functionalization of unactivated C-H bonds, water oxidation, and dioxygen reduction are extremely important reactions in the context of finding energy carriers and conversion processes that are alternatives to the current fossil-based oil for energy. A range of metalloenzymes achieve these challenging tasks in biology by using cheap and abundant transition metals, such as iron, copper, and manganese. High-valent metal-oxo and metal-dioxygen (superoxo, peroxo, and hydroperoxo) cores act as active intermediates in many of these processes. The generation of well-described model compounds can provide vital insights into the mechanisms of such enzymatic reactions. This perspective provides a focused rather than comprehensive review of the recent advances in the chemistry of biomimetic high-valent metal-oxo and metal-dioxygen complexes, which can be related to our understanding of the biological systems.

High-valent cobalt-oxo intermediates are proposed as reactive intermediates in a number of cobalt-complex-mediated oxidation reactions. Herein we report the spectroscopic capture of low-spin (S=1/2) Co(IV)-oxo species in the presence of redox-inactive metal ions, such as Sc(3+), Ce(3+), Y(3+), and Zn(2+), and the investigation of their reactivity in C-H bond activation and sulfoxidation reactions. Theoretical calculations predict that the binding of Lewis acidic metal ions to the cobalt-oxo core increases the electrophilicity of the oxygen atom, resulting in the redox tautomerism of a highly unstable [(TAML)Co(III)(O˙)](2-) species to a more stable [(TAML)Co(IV)(O)(M(n+))] core. The present report supports the proposed role of the redox-inactive metal ions in facilitating the formation of high-valent metal-oxo cores as a necessary step for oxygen evolution in chemistry and biology., (© 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.)

The behavior of the Lewis-acid adducts of two copper-nitrene [Cu(NR)](+) complexes in nitrene-transfer and H-atom abstraction reactions have been demonstrated to depend on the nature of the nitrene substituents. Two-state reactivity, in which a singlet ground state and a nearby triplet excited-state both contribute, provides a useful model for interpreting reactivity trends of the two compounds.

The redox properties of Ni complexes bound to a new ligand, [DMC-nit](+), where a N-heterocyclic nitrenium group is anchored on a 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane backbone, have been examined using spectroscopic and DFT methods. Ligand-based [(DMC-nit)Ni](2+/+) reduction and metal-based [(DMC-nit)Ni](2+/3+) oxidation processes have been established for the [(DMC-nit)Ni](+/2+/3+) redox series, which represents the first examples of nitrenium nitrogen (N(nit))-bound first-row transition-metal complexes. An unprecedented bent binding mode of N(nit) in [(DMC-nit)Ni](2+) is observed, which possibly results from the absence of any N(nit)→Ni σ-donation. For the corresponding [(DMC-nit)Ni(F)](2+) complex, σ-donation is dominant, and hence a coplanar arrangement at N(nit) is predicted by DFT. The binding of the triazolium ion to Ni enables new chemistry (formate oxidation) that is not observed in a derivative that lacks this functional group. Thus the N-heterocyclic nitrenium ligand is a potentially useful and versatile reagent in transition-metal-based catalysis.

We report a complex with a rare Cu(II)-O-Cu(II) structural motif that is stable at room temperature, which allows its in-depth characterization by a variety of spectroscopic methods. Interest in such compounds is fueled by the recent discovery that a Cu(II)-O-Cu(II) species on the surface of Cu-ZSM-5 is capable of oxidizing methane to methanol, and this in turn ties into mechanistic discussions on the methane oxidation at the dicopper site within the particulate methane monooxygenase. For the synthesis of our Cu2O complex we have developed a novel, neutral ligand system, FurNeu, exhibiting two N-(N',N'-dimethylaminoethyl)(2-pyridylmethyl)amino binding pockets connected by a dibenzofuran spacer. The reaction of FurNeu with CuCl yielded [FurNeu](Cu2(μ-Cl))(CuCl2), 1, demonstrating the geometric potential of the ligand to stabilize Cu-X-Cu moieties. A Cu(I) precursor with weakly coordinating anions was chosen in the next step, namely [Cu(NCCH3)4]OTf, which led to the formation of [FurNeu](Cu(NCCH3))2(OTf)2, 3. Treatment of 3 with O2 or PhIO led to identical green solutions, whose UV-vis spectra were markedly different from the one displayed by [FurNeu](Cu)2(OTf)4, 4, prepared independently from FurNeu and Cu(OTf)2. Further investigations including PhIO consumption experiments, NMR and UV-vis spectroscopy, HR-ESI mass spectrometry, and protonation studies led to the identification of the green product as [FurNeu](Cu2(μ-O))(OTf)2, 5. DOSY NMR spectroscopy confirmed its monomeric character. Over longer periods of time 5 decomposes to give [Cu(picoloyl)2], formed through an oxidative N-dealkylation reaction followed by further oxidation of the ligand. Due to its slow decomposition reaction, all attempts to crystallize 5 failed. However, its structure in solution could be determined by EXAFS analysis in combination with DFT calculations, which revealed a Cu-O-Cu angle that amounts to 105.17°. Moreover, TDDFT calculations helped to rationalize the UV-vis absorptions of 5. The reactivity of complex 5 with 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol, DTBP, was also investigated; the initially formed biphenol product, TBBP, was found to further react in the presence of excessive O2 to yield 2,4,7,9-tetra-tert-butyloxepino[2,3-b]benzofuran, TBOBF, via an intermediate diphenoquinone. It turned out that 5, or its precursor 3, can even be employed as a catalyst for the oxidation of DTBP to TBBP or for the oxidation of TBBP to TBOBF.

High-valent copper-nitrene intermediates have long been proposed to play a role in copper-catalyzed aziridination and amination reactions. However, such intermediates have eluded detection for decades, preventing the unambiguous assignments of mechanisms. Moreover, the electronic structure of the proposed copper-nitrene intermediates has also been controversially discussed in the literature. These mechanistic questions and controversy have provided tremendous motivation to probe the accessibility and reactivity of Cu(III)-NR/Cu(II)N(•)R species. In this paper, we report a breakthrough in this field that was achieved by trapping a transient copper-tosylnitrene species, 3-Sc, in the presence of scandium triflate. The sufficient stability of 3-Sc at -90 °C enabled its characterization with optical, resonance Raman, NMR, and X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopies, which helped to establish its electronic structure as Cu(II)N(•)Ts (Ts = tosyl group) and not Cu(III)NTs. 3-Sc can initiate tosylamination of cyclohexane, thereby suggesting Cu(II)N(•)Ts cores as viable reactants in oxidation catalysis.

Ni(III)-intermediates are trapped by EPR and UV/Vis spectroscopy in the reaction of a Ni(II) salt with mCPBA. On the basis of their oxo-transfer and hydrogen-atom abstraction abilities the intermediates are assigned as the elusive terminal Ni(III)-oxo/hydroxo species. The findings suggest that Ni(III)-O(H) moieties are viable reactants in oxidation catalysis., (This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012)