The role of molecular oxygen in the iron(iii)-promoted oxidative dehydrogenation of amines

A mechanistic study is presented of the oxidative dehydrogenation of the iron(III) complex [Fe(III)L(3)](3+), 1, (L(3) = 1,9-bis(2'-pyridyl)-5-[(ethoxy-2''-pyridyl)methyl]-2,5,8-triazanonane) in ethanol in the presence of molecular oxygen. The product of the reaction was identified by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography as the identical monoimine complex [Fe(II)L(4)](2+), 2, (L(4) = 1,9-bis(2'-pyridyl)-5-[(ethoxy-2''-pyridyl)methyl]-2,5,8-triazanon-1-ene) also formed under an inert nitrogen atmosphere. Molecular oxygen is an active player in the oxidative dehydrogenation of iron(III) complex 1. Reduced oxygen species, e.g., superoxide, (O2˙(-)) and peroxide (O2(2-)), are formed and undergo single electron transfer reactions with ligand-based radical intermediates. The experimental rate law can be described by the third order rate equation, -d[(Fe(III)L(3))(3+)]/dt = kOD[(Fe(III)L(3))(3+)][EtO(-)][O2], with kOD = 3.80 ± 0.09 × 10(7) M(-2) s(-1) (60 °C, μ = 0.01 M). The reduction O2 → O2˙(-) represents the rate determining step, with superoxide becoming further reduced to peroxide as shown by a coupled heme catalase assay. In an independent study, with H2O2, replacing O2 as the oxidant, the experimental rate law depended on [H2O2]: -d[(Fe(III)L(3))(3+)]/dt = kH2O2[(Fe(III)L(3))(3+)][H2O2]), with kH2O2 = 6.25 ± 0.02 × 10(-3) M(-1) s(-1). In contrast to the reaction performed under N2, no kinetic isotope effect (KIE) or general base catalysis was found for the reaction of iron(III) complex 1 with O2. Under N2, two consecutive one-electron oxidation steps of the ligand coupled to proton removal produced the iron(II)-monoimine complex [Fe(II)L(4)](2+) and the iron(II)-amine complex [Fe(II)L(3)](2+) in a 1 : 1 ratio (disproportionation), with the amine deprotonation being the rate determining step. Notably, the reaction is almost one order of magnitude faster in the presence of O2, with kEtO(-) = 3.02 ± 0.09 × 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) (O2) compared to kEtO(-) = 4.92 ± 0.01 × 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) (N2), documenting the role of molecular oxygen in the dehydrogenation reaction.