Muniyandi Sankaralingam

A Manganese(V)–Oxo Complex: Synthesis by Dioxygen Activation and Enhancement of Its Oxidizing Power by Binding Scandium Ion

A mononuclear non-heme manganese(V)-oxo complex, [Mn(V)(O)(TAML)](-) (1), was synthesized by activating dioxygen in the presence of olefins with weak allylic C-H bonds and characterized structurally and spectroscopically. In mechanistic studies, the formation rate of 1 was found to depend on the allylic C-H bond dissociation energies (BDEs) of olefins, and a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) value of 16 was obtained in the reactions of cyclohexene and cyclohexene-d10. These results suggest that a hydrogen atom abstraction from the allylic C-H bonds of olefins by a putative Mn(IV)-superoxo species, which is formed by binding O2 by a high-spin (S = 2) [Mn(III)(TAML)](-) complex, is the rate-determining step. A Mn(V)-oxo complex binding Sc(3+) ion, [Mn(V)(O)(TAML)](-)-(Sc(3+)) (2), was also synthesized in the reaction of 1 with Sc(3+) ion and then characterized using various spectroscopic techniques. The binding site of the Sc(3+) ion was proposed to be the TAML ligand, not the Mn-O moiety, probably due to the low basicity of the oxo group compared to the basicity of the amide carbonyl group in the TAML ligand. Reactivity studies of the Mn(V)-oxo intermediates, 1 and 2, in oxygen atom transfer and electron-transfer reactions revealed that the binding of Sc(3+) ion at the TAML ligand of Mn(V)-oxo enhanced its oxidizing power with a positively shifted one-electron reduction potential (ΔEred = 0.70 V). This study reports the first example of tuning the second coordination sphere of high-valent metal-oxo species by binding a redox-inactive metal ion at the supporting ligand site, thereby modulating their electron-transfer properties as well as their reactivities in oxidation reactions.

Selective Oxygenation of Cyclohexene by Dioxygen via an Iron(V)-Oxo Complex-Autocatalyzed Reaction

An iron complex with a tetraamido macrocyclic ligand, [(TAML)FeIII]-, was found to be an efficient and selective catalyst for allylic oxidation of cyclohexene by dioxygen (O2); cyclohex-2-enone was obtained as the major product along with cyclohexene oxide as the minor product. An iron(V)-oxo complex, [(TAML)FeV(O)]-, which was formed by activating O2 in the presence of cyclohexene, initiated the autoxidation of cyclohexene with O2 to produce cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide, which reacted with [(TAML)FeIII]- to produce [(TAML)FeV(O)]- by autocatalysis. Then, [(TAML)FeV(O)]- reacted rapidly with [(TAML)FeIII]- to produce a μ-oxo dimer, [(TAML)FeIV(O)FeIV(TAML)]2-, which was ultimately converted to [(TAML)FeV(O)]- when [(TAML)FeIII]- was not present in the reaction solution. An induction period was observed in the autocatalytic production of [(TAML)FeV(O)]-. The induction period was shortened with increasing catalytic amounts of [(TAML)FeV(O)]- and cyclohexenyl hydroperoxide, whereas the induction period was prolonged by adding catalytic amounts of a spin trapping reagent such as 5,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline N-oxide (DMPO). The allylic oxidation of cycloalkenes was also found to depend on the allylic C-H bond dissociation energies, suggesting that the hydrogen atom abstraction from the allylic C-H bonds of cycloalkenes is the rate-determining radical chain initiation step. In this study, we have shown that an iron(III) complex with a tetraamido macrocyclic ligand is an efficient catalyst for the allylic oxidation of cyclohexene via an autocatalytic radical chain mechanism and that [(TAML)FeV(O)]- acts as a reactive intermediate for the selective oxygenation of cyclohexene with O2 to produce cyclohex-2-enone predominantly.

Investigation of structural dynamics of Thrombocytopenia Cargeeg mutants of human apoptotic cytochrome c: A molecular dynamics simulation approach

Naturally occurring mutations to cytochrome c (cyt-c) have been identified recently in patients with mild autosomal dominant thrombocytopenia (low platelet levels), which yield cyt-c mutants with enhanced apoptotic activity. However, the molecular mechanism underlying this low platelet production and enhanced apoptosis remain unclear. Therefore, an attempt is made herein for the first time to investigate the effects of mutations of glycine 41 by serine (G41S) and tyrosine 48 by histidine (Y48H) on the conformational and dynamic changes of apoptotic (Fe3+) cyt-c using all atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in explicit water solvent. Our 30ns MD simulations demonstrate considerable structural differences in G41S and Y48H compared to wild type (WT) cyt-c, such as increasing distances between the critical electron transfer residues results in open conformation at the heme active site, large fluctuations in β-turns and α-helices. Additionally, although the β-sheets remain mostly unaffected in all the three cyt-c simulations, the α-helices undergo conformational switch to β-turns in both the mutant simulations. Importantly, this conformational switch of α-helix to β-turn around heme active site should attributes to the loss of intraprotein H-bonds in the mutant simulations especially between NE2 (His26) and O (Pro44) in agreement with the experimental report. Further, essential dynamics analysis reveals that overall motions of WT cyt-c is mainly involved only in the first eigenvector, but in G41S and Y48H the overall motions are mainly in three and two eigenvectors respectively. Overall, the detailed atomistic level information provide a unifying description for the molecular mechanism of structural destabilization, disregulation of platelet formation and enhanced peroxidase activity of the mutant cyt-cs in the pathology of intrinsic apoptosis.

A Mononuclear Non-heme Manganese(III)–Aqua Complex as a New Active Oxidant in Hydrogen Atom Transfer Reactions

A mononuclear non-heme Mn(III)-aqua complex, [(dpaq)MnIII(OH2)]2+ (1, dpaq = 2-[bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)]amino- N-quinolin-8-yl-acetamidate), is capable of conducting hydrogen atom transfer (HAT) reactions much more efficiently than the corresponding Mn(III)-hydroxo complex, [(dpaq)MnIII(OH)]+ (2); the high reactivity of 1 results from the positive one-electron reduction potential of 1 ( Ered vs SCE = 1.03 V), compared to that of 2 ( Ered vs SCE = -0.1 V). The HAT mechanism of 1 varies between electron transfer followed by proton transfer and one-step concerted proton-coupled electron transfer, depending on the one-electron oxidation potentials of substrates. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first example showing that metal(III)-aqua complex can be an effective H-atom abstraction reagent.

A Manganese(V)-Oxo TAML Cation Radical Complex: Synthesis, Characterization, and Reactivity Studies

A mononuclear manganese(V)-oxo complex with tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (TAML), [MnV (O)(TAML)]- (1), is a sluggish oxidant in oxidation reactions. Herein, a mononuclear manganese(V)-oxo TAML cation radical complex, [MnV (O)(TAML+. )] (2), is reported. It was synthesized by reacting [MnIII (TAML)]- with 3.0 equivalents of [RuIII (bpy)3 ]3+ or upon addition of one-electron oxidant to 1 and then characterized thoroughly with various spectroscopic techniques along with DFT calculations. Although 1 is a sluggish oxidant, 2 is a strong oxidant capable of activating C-H bonds of hydrocarbons (i.e., hydrogen atom transfer reaction) and transferring its oxygen atom to thioanisoles and olefins (i.e., oxygen atom transfer reaction).