Dana S. Marlin and Pradip K. Mascharak*
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of California, Santa Cruz, California 95064, USA
First published on UnassignedUnassigned11th January 2000
Although coordination of carboxamido nitrogen to Fe(III) center has been assumed to be improbable, research work during the past few years has demonstrated that Fe(III) complexes with ligated carboxamido nitrogens can be readily synthesized. The Fe(III)–Namido bond distances lie in the range of 1.8–2.2 Å in the various low spin and high spin Fe(III) complexes. These complexes are stable in aqueous media and their redox parameters indicate that the carboxamido nitrogens provide significant stability to the Fe(III) center.
Dana S. Marlin | Dana Marlin was born in Newport Beach, California in 1972 and raised in Malta. He received his BS in Biochemistry from the California Polytechnique University at San Luis Obispo in 1996. Since then, he has been working as a graduate student in the research group of Professor Mascharak at the University of California, Santa Cruz. His research interests include syntheses and characterization of iron complexes that exhibit reactivity toward small molecules like dioxygen and NO. His hobbies include windsurfing and sailing. |
Pradip K. Mascharak | Pradip Mascharak was born in Jaipur, India in 1953. He received his PhD from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur in 1979. In the same year, he joined the research group of Professor Richard Holm at Stanford University and later moved to Harvard University. He also worked with Professor Steve Lippard at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for two years before joining the University of California, Santa Cruz in late 1984. He is currently a Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UCSC. Modeling of active sites of metalloenzymes, design of antitumor drugs and catalysts for hydrocarbon oxidation are the major focus of his research. His hobbies include photography and gardening. |
Fig. 1 Ligands used in the syntheses of Fe(III) complexes. |
Although the synthetic strategies for successful isolation of Fe(III) complexes with ligated carboxamido nitrogens have just begun to emerge, some common themes in their syntheses have already been recognized. The known Fe(III) complexes have been synthesized by either of the two following methods. The first one involves initial formation of the Fe(II) species under anaerobic conditions followed by oxidation to the Fe(III) complex. The second approach involves the synthesis of the Fe(III) complex directly from the reaction of a suitable Fe(III) salt with the deprotonated ligand. The correct choice of base and solvent, as well as the appropriate Fe(III) salt are the crucial factors for success with this method.
The choice of the Fe(III) source depends on the type of complex one decides to synthesize. For the bis complexes with two carboxamido nitrogens around Fe(III), FeCl33 or [Et4N][FeCl4]4–6 is preferred. However, attempts to prepare the bis complexes with four carboxamido nitrogens involving the ligands Py3PH2 and MePy3PH2 invariably failed.7 We have recently discovered that [Fe(DMF)6](ClO4)3 is a very convenient starting material for the syntheses of Fe(III) complexes with these multidentate ligands7 and others like PyPepS2H4 and POPYH4.6,8 This Fe(III) starting material can be readily prepared and it is indefinitely stable and not very hygroscopic. One may also isolate the Fe(III) complex via oxidation of the corresponding Fe(II) species. The tetracarboxamido macrocyclic complexes [Fe(3)(H2O)]− and [Fe(η4-MAC*)(Cl)]2− have been prepared from FeCl2 followed by air oxidation.12–14 [Fe(CH3CN)4](ClO4)2 is another Fe(II) starting material that has also been used in several cases.9,11
Both protic and aprotic solvents have been used in the syntheses of Fe(III) complexes with ligated carboxamido nitrogens. In our earlier work, protic solvents such as ethanol and methanol have been employed in the preparation of [Fe(Pypep)2]Cl and [Fe(Prpep)2]Cl.3,4 Che and coworkers have also used methanol in their synthesis of trans-[Fe(bpc)(1-MeIm)2]ClO4.10 For the remaining complexes, the two aprotic solvents N,N′-dimethylformamide (DMF) and acetonitrile have been used. The need for these aprotic media arises from the strongly basic conditions necessary to deprotonate the carboxamide nitrogen.1 Once the Fe(III)–Namido bonds are formed, the complexes are often indefinitely stable in various protic solvents including water. Indeed, some of the reported complexes have been manipulated further in water. For example, [Fe(3)H2O]− has been prepared from the [Fe(3)Cl]2− precursor via removal of the chloride anion with Ag+ in water.12,13 Also, the seven coordinate complexes Na[Fe(POPY)(1-MeIm)2] and Na3[Fe(POPY)(NCS)2] are converted to the corresponding aquo species in water. This transformation is reversible since the original complexes are recovered from such solutions upon addition of excess 1-MeIm or NaSCN.8 It is therefore evident that the inherent basicity of the carboxamido nitrogen is lowered considerably upon coordination to the Fe(III) center, a fact that prevents hydrolysis of these complexes in water.7
The choice of base is very crucial in all the syntheses mentioned above. The base must be sufficiently strong to deprotonate the peptide nitrogens, but must not react with the solvent. In protic solvents, one generally adds the metal source to the ligand prior to the addition of the base. It appears that initial coordination of the ligand to the Fe(III) center assists deprotonation of the carboxamide group. In such cases, amines like triethylamine or 1,8-bis(dimethylamino)naphthalene are good bases.3,4 In acetonitrile, other bases like CH3COONa have also been used.10 When the complexation reaction is performed in DMF, NaH is the base of choice. In such reactions, the base must be added to the ligand prior to the addition of the metal salt. The combination of NaH and DMF (or acetonitrile) is particularly favorable since coordination of solvent to the Na+ ions in the crystal lattice often helps crystallization of the Na+ salts of the anionic complexes. The strong base tert-butyllithium has been used to deprotonate the macrocyclic ligands H4[3]12,13 and H4[MAC*].14
Finally it is important to mention the need for anaerobic conditions while preparing the thiolato complexes [Fe(PypepS)2]− and [Fe(PypepS2)]−. Upon subsequent exposure to oxygen, these complexes are converted to the sulfinato derivatives [Fe(PypepSO2)2]− and [Fe(PypepS2O4)]−.6,22 Fe(III) complexes with no thiolato sulfur(s) in the first coordination sphere are however synthesized under aerobic conditions and the complexes are stable in air.
Complex | Average Fe(III)–Namido distance/Å | Number of Fe(III)–Namido bonds | Spin state of iron(III) | Reference |
---|---|---|---|---|
[Fe(Pypep)2]+ | 1.957(4) | 2 | LS | 3 |
[Fe(Prpep)2]+ | 1.955(2) | 2 | LS | 4 |
[Fe(PypepS)2]− | 1.954(2) | 2 | LS | 5 |
[Fe(PypepO)2]− | 2.064(4) | 2 | HS | 21 |
[Fe(bpc)(MeCO2)2]− | 2.064(2) | 2 | HS | 9 |
[Fe(bpc)(1-MeIm)2]+ | 1.886(4) | 2 | LS | 10 |
[Fe(PypepS2)]− | 2.040(3) | 2 | HS | 6 |
[Fe(POPY)(1-MeIm)2]− | 2.228(4) | 2 | HS | 8 |
[Fe(POPY)(NCS)2]3− | 2.224(6) | 2 | HS | 8 |
[Fe(L)2]− | 1.971(3) | 4 | LS | 11 |
[Fe(Py3P)2]− | 1.962(2) | 4 | LS | 7 |
[Fe(MePy3P)2]− | 1.955(3) | 4 | LS | 7 |
[Fe(H2O)(3)]− | 1.877(8) | 4 | IS | 12 |
[Fe(η4-MAC*)(Cl)]2− | 1.927(16) | 4 | IS | 14 |
Fig. 2 |
Fig. 3 |
Another interesting fact emerges upon comparison of the structural parameters of [Fe(bpc)(1-MeIm)2]+ (Fig. 3b) and [Fe(Pypep)2]+ (Fig. 2a). These two complexes have identical donor atoms around the Fe(III) center. However, the average Fe(III)–Namido bond length in [Fe(bpc)(1-MeIm)2]+ is shorter than that in [Fe(Pypep)2]+ (1.886(4) Å vs. 1.957(4) Å). This difference clearly arises from a trans-effect since the carboxamido nitrogens are cis to each other in the former complex while the same nitrogens are in a trans configuration in the latter.
The two pentadentate ligands PypepS2H4 and POPYH4 afford Fe(III) complexes of different geometries. The fully deprotonated pentadentate PypepS24− ligand coordinates to Fe(III) in a helical geometry (Fig. 4a).6 The average Fe(III)–Namido distance noted with HS [Fe(PypepS2)]− is 2.040(3) Å. Quite in contrast, the fully deprotonated POPY4− assumes a planar conformation and occupies the equatorial plane of seven coordinate pentagonal bipyramid geometry (Fig. 4b) in [Fe(POPY)(X)]n− (when X = 1-MeIm, n = 1; X = NCS−, n = 3). In these two HS seven coordinate complexes, the average Fe(III)–Namido distances are virtually identical (Table 1) despite very different overall charges.
Fig. 4 |
Fig. 5 |
There are two other examples of Fe(III) complexes with four carboxamido nitrogens. These are derived from the macrocyclic ligands H4[MAC*] and H4[3].12–14 The fully deprotonated tetraanionic ligands occupy the equatorial plane in both complexes with distorted square pyramidal geometry (Fig. 6a and 6b). The Fe(III)–Namido bond distances are shorter in these intermediate spin (IS) species (1.927(3) and 1.877(8) Å for and [Fe(η4-MAC*)(Cl)]2− and [Fe(H2O)[3]]− respectively) presumably due to the structural constraints of the macrocyclic ligand frames.
Fig. 6 |
Most of the Fe(III) complexes included in this account are low spin (LS), although some high spin (HS) cases are noted (Table 1). The LS bis complexes with four carboxamido nitrogen donors in the equatorial plane (Fig. 5) exhibit sharp axial signals with g⊥ = 2.18 and g∥ = 1.94 (Table 2). Rhombic signals are usually observed for LS bis complexes with two carboxamido nitrogens like [Fe(PypepS)2]− (g = 2.22, 2.14 and 1.98) due to the inequivalent electronic axes at the metal center. The LS nature of these Fe(III) complexes appears to be a result of the strong donor capacity of the carboxamido nitrogens.
Complex | g values | μB | E1/2 |
---|---|---|---|
[Fe(Pypep)2]+ | 2.22 (298K) | −0.31 (DMF) | |
[Fe(Prpep)2]+ | 2.24 (298K) | −0.10 (DMF) | |
[Fe(PypepS)2]− | 2.22, 2.14, 1.98 | −1.12 (DMF) | |
[Fe(PypepO)2]− | 9.3, 4.2 | −1.08 (DMF) | |
[Fe(bpc)(MeCO2)2]− | 5.22, 2.02 | 5.99 (300K) | −0.44 (CH3CN) |
[Fe(bpc)(1-MeIm)2]+ | 1.79 (298K) | −0.54 (CH3CN) | |
[Fe(PypepS2)]− | 9.3, 4.2 | 6.13 (298K) | −0.65 (DMF) |
[Fe(POPY)(1- MeIm)2]− | 6.43, 5.55, 1.99 | −1.01 (DMF) | |
[Fe(POPY)(NCS)2]3− | 6.74, 5.10, 2.00 | ||
[Fe(L)2]− | 2.160, 1.990 | 2.38 (300K) | −0.91 (CH3CN) |
[Fe(Py3P)2]− | 2.18, 1.94 | −0.95 (DMF) | |
[Fe(MePy3P)2]− | 2.18, 1.94 | −1.05 (DMF) | |
[Fe(H2O)[3]]− | 5.8, 5.0, 2.9, 1.8 | ||
[Fe(η4-MAC*)(Cl)]2− | 4.38, 3.73, 2.06 |
The Fe(III) complexes of PypepS2H4 and POPYH4 with coordination number 5 and 7 are HS despite the presence of strong donors (Table 1). The unusual coordination geometries of these species (Fig. 4a–c) could be responsible for this behavior. Intermediate spin (3/2) states have also been noted with the 5 coordinate Fe(III) complexes with macrocyclic ligands (Fig. 1, Table 1). Collins and coworkers have studied the magnetic and Mössbauer properties of these species in detail.12–14
Changes in donor sets in structurally similar complexes also bring about changes in the spin state. Two interesting pairs of examples are given in Table 1. In the first case which involves the two bis complexes [Fe(PypepS)2]− and [Fe(PypepO)2]− (Fig. 2b and 2c), a change of thiolato sulfur to phenolato oxygen around Fe(III) causes a spin change from LS to HS. In the second example, a change of the neutral 1-MeIm axial donors of the LS complex [Fe(bpc)(1-MeIm)2]+ to acetate results in the HS species [Fe(bpc)(MeCO2)2]−. Clearly, several factors dictate the overall spin state of these Fe(III) complexes and more work is required to determine the contribution of the individual factors.
The half-wave potentials (E1/2) for most of the complexes have been recorded and are listed in Table 2. That the carboxamido nitrogens provide extra stability to the +3 oxidation state of iron is readily noted in the highly negative reduction potentials (≡ −1.0 V vs. SCE) for complexes like [Fe(L)2]−, [Fe(Py3P)2]−, and [Fe(MePy3P)2]− (Table 2). These complexes comprise four carboxamido and two aromatic nitrogens around the Fe(III) center. The reduction potentials drop sharply when the number of carboxamido nitrogens (negatively-charged) is decreased. For example, the bis complexes [Fe(Pypep)2]+ and [Fe(Prpep)2]+ are reduced at −0.31 V and −0.10 V vs. SCE respectively. The major part of the stability of the Fe(III) center arises from electrostatic effects of the negatively-charged donors. This is further evidenced by the reduction potentials of the complexes [Fe(PypepO)2]− and [Fe(PypepS)2]− (−1.08 and −1.12 V vs. SCE respectively) compared to [Fe(Pypep)2]+. Collectively, the redox potentials now suggest that carboxamido nitrogen stabilizes the Fe(III) center to a great extent much like the carboxylates and phenolates.23,24
Footnote |
† Ligand abbreviations used in this paper: H2L = 2,6-bis(N-phenylcarbamoyl)pyridine; Py3PH2 = N,N′-bis[2-(pyridyl)ethyl]pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide; MePy3PH2 = N,N′-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)methyl]pyridine-2,6- dicarboxamide; H2bpc = 4,5-dichloro-1,2-bis(pyridine-2-carboxamido)- benzene; PypepH = N-[2-(4-imidazoyl)ethyl]pyridine-2-carboxamide; PrpepH = N-[2-(4-imidazolyl)ethyl]pyrimidine-4-carboxamide; PypepSH2 = N-2-mercaptophenylpyridine-2′-carboxamide; PypepOH2 = N-2-hydroxyphenylpyridine-2′-carboxamide; H4[MAC*] = 1,4,8,11-tetraaza-13,13-diethyl-2,2,5,5,7,7,10,10-octamethyl-3,6,9,12,14-p entaoxocyclotetradecane; H4[3] = 13,14-dichloro-6,6-diethyl-2,5,7,10(6H,11H)- tetraoxo-3,3,9,9-tetramethyl-1H-1,4,8,11-benzotetraazacyclotridec ine; PypepS2H4 = N′-bis(2-mercaptophenyl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide; POPYH4 = N,N′-bis(2-hydroxyphenyl)pyridine-2,6-dicarboxamide. |
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