High-valent Iron-oxo Complexes Research Articles

Coupled Surface-Confinement Effect and Pore Engineering in a Single-Fe-Atom Catalyst for Ultrafast Fenton-like Reaction with High-Valent Iron-Oxo Complex Oxidation.

The nanoconfinement effect in Fenton-like reactions shows great potential in environmental remediation, but the construction of confinement structure and the corresponding mechanism are rarely elucidated systematically. Herein, we proposed a novel peroxymonosulfate (PMS) activation system employing the single Fe atom supported on mesoporous N-doped carbon (FeSA-MNC, specific surface area = 1520.9 m2/g), which could accelerate the catalytic oxidation process via the surface-confinement effect. The degradation activity of the confined system was remarkably increased by 34.6 times compared to its analogue unconfined system. The generation of almost 100% high-valent iron-oxo species was identified via 18O isotope-labeled experiments, quenching tests, and probe methods. The density functional theory illustrated that the surface-confinement effect narrows the gap between the d-band center and Fermi level of the single Fe atom, which strengthens the charge transfer rate at the reaction interface and reduces the free energy barrier for PMS activation. The surface-confinement system exhibited excellent pollutant degradation efficiency, robust resistance to coexisting matter, and adaptation of a wide pH range (3.0-11.0) and various temperature environments (5-40 °C). Finally, the FeSA-MNC/PMS system could achieve 100% sulfamethoxazole removal without significant performance decline after 10,000-bed volumes. This work provides novel and significant insights into the surface-confinement effect in Fenton-like chemistry and guides the design of superior oxidation systems for environmental remediation.

Prussian blue analogues-derived zero valent iron to efficiently activate peroxymonosulfate for phenol degradation triggered via reactive oxygen species and high-valent iron-oxo complexes

It is of great significance to develop the effective technique to treat phenol-containing wastewater. Herein, Fe-based prussian blue analogues-derived zero valent iron (ZVI) was successfully synthesized by one-step calcination method. Owing to high specific surface area and rich active sites, ZVI-2 possessed excellent performance in charge transfer. Notably, in comparison with conventional ZVI and Fe2+, ZVI-2 can effectively activate peroxymonosulfate (PMS) for achieving rapid degradation of phenol, and the highest removal efficiency of phenol reached 94.9% within 24 min. More importantly, developed ZVI-2/PMS oxidation system with good stability displayed strong anti-interference capability. Interestingly, Fe0 loaded on the surface of ZVI-2 can efficiently break the O–O bond of PMS to generate reactive oxygen species (i.e., SO4•−, OH•, O2•− and 1O2). As main adsorption sites of PMS, the existence of oxygen vacancy promote the formation of high-valent transition metal complexes (namely ZVI-2≡Fe4+=O). Under the combined action of reactive oxygen species and ZVI-2≡Fe4+=O, phenol can be eventually degraded into CO2 and H2O. The possible degradation pathways of phenol were also investigated. Furthermore, proposed ZVI-2/PMS oxidation system displayed great potential for application in the field of wastewater treatment. All in all, current work provided a valuable reference for design and application of Fe-based catalysts in PS-AOPs.

Electron-Transfer and Redox Reactivity of High-Valent Iron Imido and Oxo Complexes with the Formal Oxidation States of Five and Six.

We report for the first time electron-transfer (ET) properties of mononuclear nonheme iron-oxo and -imido complexes with the formal oxidation states of five and six, such as an iron(V)-imido TAML cation radical complex, which is formally an iron(VI)-imido complex [FeV(NTs)(TAML+•)] (1; NTs = tosylimido), an iron(V)-imido complex [FeV(NTs)(TAML)]- (2), and an iron(V)-oxo complex [FeV(O)(TAML)]- (3). The one-electron reduction potential (Ered vs SCE) of 1 was determined to be 0.86 V, which is much more positive than that of 2 (0.30 V), but the Ered of 3 is the most positive (1.04 V). The rate constants of ET of 1-3 were analyzed in light of the Marcus theory of adiabatic outer-sphere ET to determine the reorganization energies (λ) of ET reactions with 1-3; the λ of 1 (1.00 eV) is significantly smaller than those of 2 (1.98 eV) and 3 (2.25 eV) because of the ligand-centered ET reduction of 1 as compared to the metal-centered ET reduction of 2 and 3. In oxidation reactions, reactivities of 1-3 toward the nitrene transfer (NT) and oxygen atom transfer (OAT) to thioanisole and its derivatives and the C-H bond activation reactions, such as the hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) of 1,4-cyclohexadiene, were compared experimentally. The differences in the redox reactivity of 1-3 depending on the reaction types, such as NT and OAT versus HAT, were interpreted by performing density functional theory calculations, showing that the ligand-centered reduction seen on ET reactions can switch to metal-centered reduction in NT and HAT.

High-Valent Iron-Oxo Complexes as Dominant Species to Eliminate Pharmaceuticals and Chloride-Containing Intermediates by the Activation of Peroxymonosulfate Under Visible Irradiation

Generally, the sulfate (SO4·−) and hydroxyl (HO·) radicals are the dominant active species in most catalytic oxidation processes with peroxymonosulfate (PMS). However, the existence of various natural organic and inorganic matters in aquatic environments might influence the oxidation efficiency of these radicals, and/or form more toxic and refractory intermediates than the parent, especially in chlorine-ion-containing conditions. Here, we constructed a novel visible-light catalytic system with PMS based on iron hexadecachlorophthalocyanine-poly (4-vinylpyridine)/polyacrylonitrile nanofibers through pyridine ligands to generate high-valent iron-oxo (Fe(IV)=O) species as the main active species. The coordination structure was characterized by UV–Vis diffuse reflection, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, etc. The high-valent iron-oxo generation from peroxysulfate O–O bond heterolytic cleavage was proved by high-definition electrospray ionization mass spectrometer. Ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with high-definition mass spectrometry showed that the photocatalytic system was efficient for the degradation of carbamazepine and the chlorinated intermediates by iron-oxo active species in chlorine-ion-containing conditions.Graphic

Characterization of Terminal Iron(III)-Oxo and Iron(III)-Hydroxo Complexes Derived from O2 Activation.

O2 activation at nonheme iron centers is a common motif in biological systems. While synthetic models have provided numerous insights into the reactivity of high-valent iron-oxo complexes related to biological processes, the majority of these complexes are synthesized using alternative oxidants. This report describes O2 activation by an iron(II)-triflate complex of the imino-functionalized tris(pyrrol-2-ylmethyl)amine ligand framework, H3[N(piCy)3]. Initial reaction conditions result in the formation of a mixture of oxidation products including terminal iron(III)-oxo and iron(III)-hydroxo complexes. The relevance of these species to the O2 activation process is demonstrated through reactivity studies and electrochemical analysis of the iron(III)-oxo complex.

Enhanced Rates of C-H Bond Cleavage by a Hydrogen-Bonded Synthetic Heme High-Valent Iron(IV) Oxo Complex.

Secondary coordination sphere interactions are critical in facilitating the formation, stabilization, and enhanced reactivity of high-valent oxidants required for essential biochemical processes. Herein, we compare the C-H bond oxidizing capabilities of spectroscopically characterized synthetic heme iron(IV) oxo complexes, F8Cmpd-II (F8 = tetrakis(2,6-difluorophenyl)porphyrinate), and a 2,6-lutidinium triflate (LutH+) Lewis acid adduct involving ferryl O-atom hydrogen-bonding, F8Cmpd-II(LutH+). Second-order rate constants utilizing C-H and C-D substrates were obtained by UV-vis spectroscopic monitoring, while products were characterized and quantified by EPR spectroscopy and gas chromatography (GC). With xanthene, F8Cmpd-II(LutH+) reacts 40 times faster (k2 = 14.2 M-1 s-1; -90 °C) than does F8Cmpd-II, giving bixanthene plus xanthone and the heme product [F8FeIIIOH2]+. For substrates with greater C-H bond dissociation energies (BDEs) F8Cmpd-II(LutH+) reacts with the second order rate constants k2(9,10-dihydroanthracene; DHA) = 0.485 M-1 s-1 and k2(fluorene) = 0.102 M-1 s-1 (-90 °C); by contrast, F8Cmpd-II is unreactive toward these substrates. For xanthene vs xanthene-(d2), large, nonclassical deuterium kinetic isotope effects are roughly estimated for both F8Cmpd-II and F8Cmpd-II(LutH+). The deuterated H-bonded analog, F8Cmpd-II(LutD+), was also prepared; for the reaction with DHA, an inverse KIE (compared to F8Cmpd-II(LutH+)) was observed. This work originates/inaugurates experimental investigation of the reactivity of authentic H-bonded heme-based FeIV═O compounds, critically establishing the importance of oxo H-bonding (or protonation) in heme complexes and enzyme active sites.

Peroxymonosulfate activation by iron(III)-tetraamidomacrocyclic ligand for degradation of organic pollutants via high-valent iron-oxo complex

Herein, we proposed a new catalytic oxidation system, i.e., iron(III)-tetraamidomacrocyclic ligand (FeIII-TAML) mediated activation of peroxymonosulfate (PMS), for highly efficient organic degradation using p-chlorophenol (4-CP) as a model one. PMS/FeIII-TAML is capable of degrading 4-CP completely in 9 min at the initial 4-CP of 50 μM and pH = 7, whereas the recently explored system, H2O2/FeIII-TAML, could only result in ∼22% 4-CP removal in 20 min under otherwise identical conditions. More attractively, inorganic anions (i.e., Cl−, SO42−, NO3−, and HCO3−) exhibited insignificant effect on 4-CP degradation, and the negative effect of natural organic matters (NOM) on the degradation of 4-CP in PMS/FeIII-TAML is much weaker than the sulfate radical-based oxidation process (PMS/Co2+). Combined with in-situ XANES spectra, UV-visible spectra, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectra, and radical quenching experiments, high-valent iron-oxo complex (FeIV(O)TAML) instead of singlet oxygen (1O2), superoxide radical (O2•−), sulfate radicals (SO4•−) and hydroxyl radicals (HO•) was the key active species responsible for 4-CP degradation. The formation rate (kI) and consumption rate (kII) of the FeIV(O)TAML in PMS/FeIII-TAML were pH-dependent in the range of 6.0–11.5. As expected, increasing the FeIII-TAML and PMS dosage resulted in a higher steady-state concentration of FeIV(O)TAML and enhanced the 4-CP degradation accordingly. In addition, the oxidation capacity of PMS was almost totally utilized in PMS/FeIII-TAML for 4-CP oxidation due to the two-electron abstraction from 4-CP by one PMS. We believe this study will shed new light on effective PMS activation by Fe-ligand complexes to efficiently degrade organic contaminants via nonradical pathway.

Direct observation of a nonheme iron(IV)-oxo complex that mediates aromatic C-F hydroxylation.

The synthesis of a pentadentate ligand with strategically designed fluorinated arene groups in the second coordination sphere of a nonheme iron center is reported. The oxidatively resistant fluorine substituents allow for the trapping and characterization of an FeIV(O) complex at −20 °C. Upon warming of the FeIV(O) complex, an unprecedented arene C–F hydroxylation reaction occurs. Computational studies support the finding that substrate orientation is a critical factor in the observed reactivity. This work not only gives rare direct evidence for the participation of an FeIV(O) species in arene hydroxylation but also provides the first example of a high-valent iron–oxo complex that mediates aromatic C–F hydroxylation.

Generation and characterization of high-valent iron oxo phthalocyanines

The first high-valent iron oxo complex on the phthalocyanine platform has been prepared from iron tetra-tert-butyl-phthalocyanine and m-chloroperbenzoic acid and characterized by low temperature UV-vis, cryospray MS, EPR, X-ray absorption and high resolution X-ray emission methods.

Theoretical studies on the reaction mechanism of alcohol oxidation by high-valent iron-oxo complex of non-heme ligand

The catalytic mechanism for the oxidation of methanol to formaldehyde and water catalyzed by the biomimetic non-heme iron complex, [(tpa)Fe(IV)O](2+) (tpa = tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), is presented by the density functional method B3LYP. Experimentally, acetate and CH(3)CN could be coordinated to the Fe center as the sixth ligand to form the catalyst [(tpa)Fe(IV)=O](2+). To investigate the detailed reaction mechanisms for the two possible ligands, two models (acetate-bound ferryl model A and CH(3)CN-bound ferryl model B) are chosen. In total, six routes have been presented for two models. Our calculations show that both acetate and CH(3)CN could provide reasonable pathways. The calculated energy barriers for these routes are between 19.0 and 23.7 kcal mol(-1) in solution, within the error limits of B3LYP. It is also found that the CH(3)CN molecule acts only as a ligand throughout the reaction cycle. By contrast, the acetate ligand acts as a proton sink to assist the product formation. In addition, the less polarized solvent is more suitable for the alcohol oxidation catalyzed by non-heme model complexes.

A Mechanism for Oxygen Exchange between Ligated Oxometalloporphinates and Bulk Water

Oxygen exchange between high-valent metal–oxo complexes and bulk water has been monitored for nonligated model porphyrins (hemin, FeTDCPPS, MnTMPyP) and the axially ligated microperoxidase-8 (MP-8). Exchange extents up to 90% were measured for MP-8 in spite of the presence of an axial histidine ligand and accompanied by the formation of nonlabelled H2O2 from H218O2. These results point to the existence of a mechanism for oxygen exchange between the high-valent iron–oxo complex and the solvent different from the so-called “oxo-hydroxo tautomerism.” Regeneration of the primary oxidant, H2O2, and oxygen exchange by axially ligated porphyrins can be explained by a mechanism involving the reversibility of compound I formation.

Determination of Reactive Intermediates in Iron Porphyrin Complex-Catalyzed Oxygenations of Hydrocarbons Using Isotopically Labeled Water: Mechanistic Insights

We have studied iron porphyrin complex-catalyzed oxygenations of hydrocarbons by several oxidants (i.e., hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid (MCPBA)) in the presence of H218O. In the olefin epoxidation and alkane hydroxylation reactions catalyzed by (meso-tetrakis(pentafluorophenyl)porphinato)iron(III) chloride [Fe(F20TPP)Cl], the percentages of 18O incorporated into the oxygenated products were found to be the same in all of the reactions of hydrogen peroxide, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, and MCPBA, leading us to conclude that a common high-valent iron oxo complex was the reactive intermediate responsible for oxygen atom transfer. When the epoxidation of cyclooctene by MCPBA and H2O2 was performed at low temperature in the presence of H218O, it was found that there was no 18O-incorporation from labeled water into cyclooctene oxide. We interpreted the lack of 18O-incorporation in these reactions with that an electronegatively-substituted iron porphyrin complex forms a relatively stable (Porp)FeIII−OOR species and this intermediate transfers its oxygen to olefin prior to the O−O bond cleavage at low temperature. As the reaction temperature raised from −78 °C to room temperature, the amount of 18O incorporated into the oxide product gradually increased in the reactions of cyclooctene epoxidation. This was attributed to the fast conversion of FeIII−OOR to the high-valent iron oxo complex via the O−O bond cleavage at higher temperature. We found, by studying the effects of the olefin and H218O concentrations on the amount of 18O incorporated into the oxide product, that the rate of the oxygen exchange between high-valent iron oxo complex and labeled water was slower than that of the oxygen atom transfer from the intermediate to organic compounds in catalytic oxygenation reactions. Blocking an axial position of iron porphyrin complex with imidazole prevented the 18O-incorporation from labeled water into the oxygenated products, explaining the phenomenon of no oxygen exchange in cytochrome P-450 systems.