Redox outer sphere mechanism

In the same way that we considered two limiting extremes for ligand substitution reactions, so may we distinguish two types of reaction pathway for electron transfer (or redox) reactions, as first put forth by Taube. For redox reactions, the distinction between the two mechanisms is more clearly defined, there being no continuum of reactions which follow pathways intermediate between the extremes. In one pathway, there is no covalently linked intermediate and the electron just hops from one center to the next. This is described as the outer-sphere mechanism (Fig. 9-4). 

The outer sphere mechanism may take place in all redox active systems while inner sphere mechanism requires substitutionally labile reactants and products. 

It should be emphasized that the majority of electrochemically induced redox processes in inorganic chemistry proceed (or are assumed to proceed) through outer-sphere mechanisms. 

Only in a limited number of instances will the value of k and its associated parameters be useful in diagnosing mechanism. When the redox rate is faster than substitution within either reactant, we can be fairly certain that an outer-sphere mechanism holds. This is the case with Fe + and RuCP+ oxidation of V(II) and with rapid electron transfer between inert partners. On the other hand, when the activation parameters for substitution and redox reactions of one of the reactants are similar, an inner-sphere redox reaction, controlled by replacement, is highly likely. This appears to be the case with the oxidation by a number of Co(III) complexes of V(II), confirmed in some instanees by the appearance of the requisite V(III) complex, e.g. 

The action of one-electron redox systems is readily understandable in the context of inner- and outer-sphere mechanisms, whereas two-electron redox systems require additional considerations. First, if a double one-electron transfer is possible from an organic substrate to the same metal ion, does it mean that the same molecule of an organic donor provides these two electrons, or do two molecules of the substrate act as one-electron donors ... 

NMR and UV-visible techniques have been used in the characterization of intermediates in the [Fe (edta)]" -promoted decomposition of hydrogen peroxide7 Fe complexes of edta, nta, and dtpa react with FISOs by an inner-sphere one-electron transfer mechanism with transient production of S04, in contrast to Cu, which reacts by an outer-sphere mechanism to give S04 and hydroxy radicalsFe -edta redox properties are relevant to Fe /Cu /H202 systems. ... 

Another example is the reaction of indoles with nitrosoarenes in the presence of acids. The redox potentials of the reactants cannot justify an outer-sphere ET process, thus the formation of the phenylaminoxyl detected for the reaction carried out in the ESR cavity, could be more likely justified by an inner-sphere ET mechanism95. In fact the reaction of quinoline N-oxide with primary alkyl Grignards for which an outer-sphere mechanism was earlier proposed, takes place through classical nucleophilic addition96. 

There has been some exploration of the mechanism of reduction of d transition metal complexes by M2+(aq) (M = Eu, Yb, Sm). Both inner- and outer-sphere mechanisms are believed to operate. Thus the ready reduction of [Co(en)3]3+ by Eu2+(aq) is necessarily outer-sphere. 2 However, the strong rate dependence on the nature of X when [Co(NH3)5X]2+ or [Cr(H20)5X]2+ (X = F, Cl, Br or I) are reduced by Eu2+(aq) possibly suggests an inner-sphere mechanism.653 The more vigorous reducing agent Yb2+ reacts with [Co(NH3)6]3+ and [Co(en)3]3+ by an outer-sphere route but with [Cr(H20)5X]2+ (X = halide) by the inner-sphere mechanism.654 Outer-sphere redox reactions are catalyzed by electron-transfer catalysts such as derivatives of isonicotinic acid, one of the most efficient of which is iV-phenyl-methylisonicotinate, as the free radical intermediate does not suffer attenuation through disproportionation. Using this catalyst, the outer-sphere reaction between Eu2+(aq) and [Co(py)(NH3)5]3+ proceeds as in reactions (18) and (19). Values found were ki = 5.8 x KFM-1 s 1 and k kx = 16.655... 

As discussed in Vol. 2, Chap. 4, experimental studies, mainly pioneered by Taube [11], revealed two different reaction pathways for redox reactions in solution (i) outer sphere mechanism characterized by weak interaction of the reactive species, with the inner coordination sphere remaining intact during the electron transfer, and reactions occurring through a common ligand shared by the metallic centers thus proceeding by an inner sphere mechanism. 

Like all redox reactions26,28,967,968 those of copper(II) may be divided into two types (a) outer sphere mechanisms involving electron (or proton) transfer between coordination shells that remain essentially intact and (b) inner sphere mechanisms in which the oxidizing and reducing species are connected by a bridging ligand, which is common to both metal ion coordination spheres."9... 

Cyano complexes have been involved in many kinetic studies.1 The fast electron transfer reactions between [Fe(CN)6]3- and [Fe(CN)6]4-, and between [Mo(CN)8]3- and [Mo(CN)g]4-, for example, were important in establishing the outer-sphere mechanism for redox reactions. The kinetics of... 

A number of situations may be visualized. Electron transfer may take place between a pair of redox proteins in solution. Certain reactions in the cytoplasm of the red blood cell fall into this category, such as that between hemoglobin and cytochrome b reductase. These reactions will probably occur by an outer-sphere mechanism, as was described earlier for model reactions between isolated electron-transfer proteins and also between these proteins and simple complexes. Interaction between such proteins probably utilizes specific charged areas on their surfaces. The possibility of inner-sphere reactions may have to be considered in a few cases. 

While the action of one-electron redox systems is readily understandable in the context of inner- and outer-sphere mechanisms, two-electron redox systems require additional... 

A large number of radical reactions proceed by redox mechanisms. These all require electron transfer (ET), often termed single electron transfer (SET), between two species and electrochemical methods are very useful to determine details of the reactions (see Chapter 6). We shall consider two examples here - reduction with samarium di-iodide (Sml2) and SRN1 (substitution, radical-nucleophilic, unimolecular) reactions. The SET steps can proceed by inner-sphere or outer-sphere mechanisms as defined in Marcus theory [19,20]. 

A simpler situation from the point of view of a theoretical treatment -although more difficult to study experimentally - is electron exchange between ions which constitute two halves of the same redox couple, e.g. MnO /MnO -, Co(NH3) +/Co(NH3)6+ etc. Two distinct types of mechanism have been postulated. In the outer-sphere mechanism, the coordination spheres of both oxidant and reductant remain intact as electrons are transferred, and the oxidation numbers of the central atoms change. The inner-sphere mechanism describes a situation where a bridged binuclear complex is formed as an intermediate, and the bridging ligand - which may be Cl-, OH etc. or an ambidentate ligand like NCS" - provides a pathway for electron transfer. 

Typically, however, the redox reactions are induced by the CT states. The reactions can proceed via an inner- or outer-sphere mechanism (see Figure 6.6), irrespective of the initial mode the redox processes are usually accompanied by reactions with exterior molecules, induced by the decreased coordination ability of the centre, or ligand, or both. This manifests in successive reactions with solvents or other accessible ligands present in the medium [51, 52] (Figure 6.7). 

Since most inorganic redox processes take place between two metal complexes, they are classified according to the behaviour of the inner (first) co-ordination spheres (shells) in the transition state (Basolo and Pearson, 1967). In the transition state of an outer-sphere mechanism the inner co-ordination spheres of both metal ions are intact, i.e., no ligand to metal bond is broken or formed, whereas in the transition state of an inner-sphere mechanism a bridging ligand,... 

It is generally believed that the oxidation of thiourea and related compounds by aqua-metal ions involves an inner-sphere electron-transfer process, whereas an outer-sphere mechanism is more commonly associated with substitution-inert complexes. The stoichiometry of redox reactions with one-electron oxidizing agents is different for acid and alkaline media. The oxidation of both thiourea and thioacetamide by [Mo(CN)g] in the range 0.02 < [HCIO4] < 0.08 M proceeds in a 1 1 ratio, yielding the disulfide as a product (108) ... 

Redox processes between metal complexes are divided into outer-sphere processes and inner-sphere processes that involve a ligand common to both coordination spheres. The distinction is fundamentally between reactions in which electron transfer takes place from one primary bond system to another (outer-sphere mechanism) and those in which electron transfer takes place within a primary bond system (inner-sphere mechanism) (Taube, 1970). 

---