Iron porphyrins carbene complexes

Diazoalkanes are u.seful is precursors to ruthenium and osmium alkylidene porphyrin complexes, and have also been investigated in iron porphyrin chemistry. In an attempt to prepare iron porphyrin carbene complexes containing an oxygen atom on the /(-carbon atom of the carbene, the reaction of the diazoketone PhC(0)C(Ni)CH3 with Fe(TpCIPP) was undertaken. A low spin, diamagnetic carbene complex formulated as Fe(TpCIPP)(=C(CH3)C(0)Ph) was identified by U V-visible and fI NMR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. Addition of CF3CO2H to this rapidly produced the protonated N-alkyl porphyrin, and Bit oxidation in the presence of sodium dithionitc gave the iron(II) N-alkyl porphyrin, both reactions evidence for Fe-to-N migration processes. ... 

Table 1 C NMR data for iron porphyrin carbene complexes...

Recently synthesized iron porphyrin-carbene complexes (136) may be considered as carbon analogues of the oxo-iron(IV) porphyrin (HRP-II and CAT-II) species.476 The one-electron oxidation of [Fe(TPP)(C=CR2)] (R = aryl) by CuCl2 affords the stable complex [Fe(TPP)(C=CR2)] Cl (TPP = wieso-tetra-p-tolyl porphyrin and R = p-ClC6H4) which has a visible spectrum very similar to that of CAT-I. X-Ray analysis of this complex has revealed a structure (137) in which the vinylidene moiety has inserted between the iron atom and one pyrrole ring of the porphyrin and it is suggested that this may constitute a model, i.e. structure (138), for the active site of CAT-I as an alternative to the Fe117 cation radical model.477... 

The four-coordinate sqnare planar iron(n) porphyrins discussed above are not only of great valne in heme protein model chemistry, but also in chemical applications, since they undergo a wealth of ligand addition reactions. For example it has been shown that TPPFe complexes are active catalysts for important carbon transfer reactions in organic chemistry and are found to catalyze the stereoselective cyclopropanation of aUcenes, olefin formation from diazoalkanes, and the efficient and selective olefination of aldehydes and other carbonyl compounds. The active species in these carbon transfer reactions are presumably iron porphyrin carbene complexes. " It was also found that ferrous hemin anchored to Ti02 thin films reduce organic halides, which can pose serious health problems and are of considerable environmental concern because of their prevalence in groundwater. ... 

Photolysis of hydroxy Fischer carbene complexes (96) (Scheme 20) in the presence of alcohols under several atmospheres of carbon monoxide gives low to moderate yields of a-hydoxy esters (97). It is proposed that the reactions proceed via ketenes formed from the liberated or complexed carbenes and CO. In some cases, acetals formed via thermal decomposition of the carbenes are the major products. Photolysis of iron porphyrin carbene complexes results in cleavage of the iron-carbon double bond, producing a four coordinate iron(II) porphyrin and the free carbene. The carbenes can be trapped in high yield with a variety of alkenes. 

Mansuy and coworkers [32] reported the first isolated metalloporphyrin-carbene complex in 1977 and it was an iron porphyrin carbene complex. It was suggested by the authors that iron carbene complexes could be involved in the metabohsm of xenobiotics. Thus, the five-coordinated (TPP)Fe(CCl2) was prepared as a purple red solid by treatment of (TPP)FeCl with CCI4 in the presence of an excess of iron powder (90% yield) [32]. It must be emphasized that the possible formation of carbene complexes after the reduction of iron deuteroporphyrin in CCI4 was initially proposed by Brault and coworkers [79]. An original method of reduction by aqueous sodium dithionite solution was described but, under these conditions, it was not possible to isolate any complex although the reaction leads to a compound of unusually good stability towards air. 

Despite the report of a large number of iron porphyrin carbene complexes in the literature, there are extremely few iron porphyrins bearing non hetero atom-stabilized carbenes [53,60]. Recently, Che and coworkers re-... 

Recently, FT-IR and theoretical analysis of iron porphyrin carbene complexes revealed a possible paramagnetic intermediate carbene state during the reaction of ethyl diazoacetate with Fe(TPP). Focusing on the C = O stretching frequency in the carbene iron complex, a decrease of the value is observed, in comparison with diamagnetic carbene complexes since the radical on the C(carbene) delocalizes over the a-carbonyl group [78]. All isolated axial iron carbene complexes are, however, diamagnetic. 

However, recently, isolated and fully characterized iron porphyrin carbene complexes such as (TPFPP)Fe(CPh2)(MeIm) [61], have been found to react with hydrocarbons to form C - H insertion products. For example, they can undergo carbon atom transfer into benzylic C - H bonds of cumene or into allylic C - H bonds of cyclohexene. These complexes can also cyclopropanate alkenes without photolysis and undergo intermolecular carbon atom transfer into saturated C - H bonds. 

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