Electronically activated metalloporphyrins

Synthesis of the Sterically Protected and Electronically Activated Metalloporphyrins... 

Only three steps of the proposed mechanism (Fig. 18.20) could not be carried out individually under stoichiometric conditions. At pH 7 and the potential-dependent part of the catalytic wave (>150 mV vs. NHE), the —30 mV/pH dependence of the turnover frequency was observed for both Ee/Cu and Cu-free (Fe-only) forms of catalysts 2, and therefore it requires two reversible electron transfer steps prior to the turnover-determining step (TDS) and one proton transfer step either prior to the TDS or as the TDS. Under these conditions, the resting state of the catalyst was determined to be ferric-aqua/Cu which was in a rapid equilibrium with the fully reduced ferrous-aqua/Cu form (the Fe - and potentials were measured to be within < 20 mV of each other, as they are in cytochrome c oxidase, resulting in a two-electron redox equilibrium). This first redox equilibrium is biased toward the catalytically inactive fully oxidized state at potentials >0.1 V, and therefore it controls the molar fraction of the catalytically active metalloporphyrin. The fully reduced ferrous-aqua/Cu form is also in a rapid equilibrium with the catalytically active 5-coordinate ferrous porphyrin. As a result of these two equilibria, at 150 mV (vs. NHE), only <0.1%... 

The electrochemistry of [Th(Por)(OH)2]3 (Por=OEP,TPP) is of particular interest as they contain three redox active metalloporphyrin units (Kadish et al. 1988). The cyclic voltammogram of the OEP complex recorded in THE at -72 C shows three reversible one-electron reduction couples at -1.49, -1.70, and -1.87 V vs. SCE. As the temperature rises to room temperature, the third reduction becomes irreversible, and it has been shown that it involves a one-electron transfer followed by a fast chemical reaction (probably dissociation) and an additional one or more electron reduction (an electrochemical ECE-type mechanism). The UV-Vis spectrum of the electroreduced species [Th(OEP)(OH)2]3 shows absorption bands at 411, 456, and 799 nm, and its ESR spectrum displays a signal at g=2.003, both of which are characteristic of a porphyrin ti radical anion. Further one-electron reduction doubles the molar absorptivities of the absorption bands at 456 and 799 nm, indicating that the second reduction is also based on porphyrin. The TPP analog [Th(TPP)(OH)2]3 also exhibits three reversible one-electron reductions at -1.13, -1.27, and -1.36V at -55 C, which are shifted by 360-510mV relative to the respective processes for [Th(OEP)(OH)2]3 at —72 C. Three additional irreversible reductions at —1.76, -2.00, and —2.10 V are also observed for this complex when the potential is scanned to -2.20 V which may be due to the formation of dianions localized on each of the three porphyrin units. Spectroelectrochemical data also indicate that the initial three reductions occur at porphyrin based orbitals. 

As a result of strong electronic interactions between the two metalloporphyrin units, there is a substantial uncertainty in assigning oxidation states in mixed-valence group 2 complexes of redox-active metals, such as Co. Thus, although reduced neutral C02 derivatives can be reasonably well described as those of Co the location (metal versus porphyrin) of the electron hole(s) in the singly and doubly oxidized derivatives is not known definitively, and may be very sensitive to the medium [LeMest et al., 1996, 1997]. For example, in benzonitrile, the UV-vis spectmm of [(FTF4)Co2]" ... 

So far, certain biomimetic catalysts (1 and 2b in Fig. 18.17) have been shown to reduce O2 to H2O under a slow electron flux at physiologically relevant conditions (pH 7,0.2-0.05 V potential vs. NHE) and retain their catalytic activity for >10" turnovers. Probably, only the increased stability of the turning-over catalyst is of relevance to the development of practical ORR catalysts for fuel cells. In addition, biomimetic catalysts of series 1,2,3, and 5, and catalyst 4b are the only metalloporphyrins studied in ORR catalysis with well-defined proximal and distal environments. For series 2, which is by far the most thoroughly studied series of biomimetic ORR catalysts, these well-defined environments result in an effective catalysis that seems to be the least sensitive among all metalloporphyrins to the electrode material (whether the catalyst is adsorbed or in the film) and to chemicals present in the electrolyte or in the O2 stream, including typical catalyst poisons (CO and CN ). 

The second example of the application of TDDFT to the electronic spectroscopy of metalloporphyrins concerns a CO-ligated iron porphyrin, a system that models the active centers of hemoproteins, recently investigated by Head-Gordon et al [146, 147] in the context of a theoretical study of the initial step of the photodissociation pathway of CO-ligated heme. 

In summary, the electrochemistry of organometallic and metalloporphyrins is dominated by synergistic electron transfer of extramolecular solution components (H20, 02, electrophiles, and nucleophiles). This provides a convenient means for evaluation of the molecular activation (catalytic) properties of these important metal-centered systems. Only in the case of iron (II)- and cobalt(II)-... 

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