Intramolecular ligand-to-co-ordinated dioxygen proton transfer in the four-electron reduction of dioxygen by tris(2,2′-bi-2-imidazoline)iron(II)

Abstract

The high-spin complex [Fe^II(2,2′-bi-2-imidazoline)₃]²⁺ reacts with dioxygen in aprotic media to form water and an iron(III) complex in which one ligand molecule is mono-deprotonated; a mechanism involving proton transfer from the ligand to the partially reduced co-ordinated dioxygen is suggested.