Non-heme Iron(II) Complexes Containing Tripodal Tetradentate Nitrogen Ligands and Their Application in Alkane Oxidation Catalysis

A series of iron(II) bis(triflate) complexes containing tripodal tetradentate nitrogen ligands with pyridine and
dimethylamine donors of the type [N(CH2Pyr)3-n(CH2CH2NMe2)n] [n = 0 (tpa, 1), n = 1 (iso-bpmen, 3), n = 2
(Me4-benpa, 4), n = 3 (Me6-tren, 5)] and the linear tetradentate ligand [(CH2Pyr)MeN(CH2CH2)NMe(CH2Pyr), (bpmen,
2)] has been prepared. The preferred coordination geometry of these complexes in the solid state and in CH2Cl2
solution changes from six- to five-coordinate in the order from 1 to 5. In acetonitrile, the triflate ligands of all
complexes are readily displaced by acetonitrile ligands. The complex [Fe(1)(CH3CN)2]2+ is essentially low spin at
room temperature, whereas ligands with fewer pyridine donors increase the preference for high-spin Fe(II). Both
the number of pyridine donors and the spin state of the metal center strongly affect the intensity of a characteristic
MLCT band around 400 nm. The catalytic properties of the complexes for the oxidation of alkanes have been
evaluated, using cyclohexane as the substrate. Complexes containing ligands 1−3 are more active and selective
catalysts, possibly operating via a metal-based oxidation mechanism, whereas complexes containing ligands 4 and
5 give rise to Fenton-type chemistry.