# Effect of Substituted Pyridine Co-Ligands and (Diacetoxyiodo)benzene Oxidants on the Fe(III)-OIPh-Mediated Triphenylmethane Hydroxylation Reaction

## TL;DR

This study explores how different co-ligands and oxidants affect the efficiency of iron-catalyzed hydroxylation of triphenylmethane.

## Contribution

The paper introduces bioinspired non-heme iron catalysts and investigates the role of co-ligands and oxidants in hydroxylation reactions.

## Key findings

- Para-substituted pyridines and iodosylbenzene diacetates significantly influence product yields and reaction kinetics.
- Electrophilic nature of iron(III)-iodozilarene complexes is crucial for triphenylmethane oxidation.
- Hydroxylation rates correlate linearly with FeIII/FeII redox potentials, indicating the importance of metal center properties.

## Abstract

Iodosilarene derivatives (PhIO, PhI(OAc)2) constitute an important class of oxygen atom transfer reagents in organic synthesis and are often used together with iron-based catalysts. Since the factors controlling the ability of iron centers to catalyze alkane hydroxylation are not yet fully understood, the aim of this report is to develop bioinspired non-heme iron catalysts in combination with PhI(OAc)2, which are suitable for performing C-H activation. Overall, this study provides insight into the iron-based ([FeII(PBI)3(CF3SO3)2] (1), where PBI = 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole) catalytic and stoichiometric hydroxylation of triphenylmethane using PhI(OAc)2, highlighting the importance of reaction conditions including the effect of the co-ligands (para-substituted pyridines) and oxidants (para-substituted iodosylbenzene diacetates) on product yields and reaction kinetics. A number of mechanistic studies have been carried out on the mechanism of triphenylmethane hydroxylation, including C-H activation, supporting the reactive intermediate, and investigating the effects of equatorial co-ligands and coordinated oxidants. Strong evidence for the electrophilic nature of the reaction was observed based on competitive experiments, which included a Hammett correlation between the relative reaction rate (logkrel) and the σp (4R-Py and 4R’-PhI(OAc)2) parameters in both stoichiometric (ρ = +0.87 and +0.92) and catalytic (ρ = +0.97 and +0.77) reactions. The presence of [(PBI)2(4R-Py)FeIIIOIPh-4R’]3+ intermediates, as well as the effect of co-ligands and coordinated oxidants, was supported by their spectral (UV–visible) and redox properties. It has been proven that the electrophilic nature of iron(III)-iodozilarene complexes is crucial in the oxidation reaction of triphenylmethane. The hydroxylation rates showed a linear correlation with the FeIII/FeII redox potentials (in the range of −350 mV and −524 mV), which suggests that the Lewis acidity and redox properties of the metal centers greatly influence the reactivity of the reactive intermediates.