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The species LFe III Cl ( 1 ) was synthesized where L 2− is the dianion N , N ′-bis(4-methyl-6-tert-butyl-2-methyl-phenolato)- N , N ′-bismethyl1,2-diaminoethane. It crystallizes in the triclinic space group P -1 with a = 14.704(6), b = 17.421(7), c = 17.328(8) A , α = 89.45(8) , β = 129.76(9), γ = 102.71(9)°, V = 3277(2) A 3 and Z = 2 . The molecule has approximately a square pyramidal structure. In the presence of DBCH 2 (3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol), this complex gives LFe III (DBSQ) ( 2 ), a stable Fe(III)-semiquinonato complex (DBSQ − stands for the 3,5-di-tert-butyl- o -benzosemiquinone monoanion). It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C 2/ c with a = 36.24(2), b = 10.438(5), c = 23.928(12) A , β = 115.31(5)°, V = 8183(7) A 3 and Z = 8 . This X-ray study allows the structure of the DBSQ − monoanion complexed to Fe(III) to be compared with that of the DBC 2− dianion complexed to Fe(III) as found in several complexes already described (see for instance H.G. Jang, D.D. Cox and L. Que, Jr., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 113 (1991) 9200–9204). A clear alternation is found in CC bond lengths in the DBSQ − monoanion. Magnetic coupling between the S Fe = 5 2 electronic spin on Fe(III) and the S R = 1 2 electronic spin on the DBSQ − anion radical has been deduced from the behavior of the magnetic susceptibility as a function of temperature. It has been found antiferromagnetic with J = −206 cm −1 (with the notation H = − JS Fc S R ). This is a weaker coupling than that found in other analogous complexes. Mossbauer spectroscopy confirms the S = 2 nature of the ground state. Analysis of the 57 Fe hyperfine coupling parameters prove that the earlier description of the electronic structure of 2 is correct. It is possible to reduce 2 to get [LFe III (DBC)] − ( E 0 = −0.3 V/SCE in AcN). This species has UV-Vis and EPR properties typical of this type of complex. In the absence of protons, [LFe III (DBC)] − is stable under pure O 2 but the addition of protons results in its oxidation to form 2 . The insensitivity of [LFe III (DBC)] − to O 2 is compatible with the idea that the system has to go through an Fe(II) (DBSQ) form by internal electron transfer to allow the attack of the aromatic ring by O 2 (see L. Que and R.Y.N. Ho, Chem. Rev., 96 (1996) 2607–2624, for a review). Observation of the lowest energy LMCT band in [LFe III (DBC)] − at 620 nm (2.00 eV, AcN) suggests that the Fe(II) (DBSQ) form is indeed at high energy ( ΔG 0 ) above the catechol form. This contributes from Marcus theory to a high activation energy. In intradiol dioxygenases the decoordination of one of the tyrosine ligands (D.H. Ohlendorf, A.M. Orville and J.D. Lipscomb, J. Mol. Biol., 244 (1994) 586–608) is certainly important for the deprotonation of the catechol substrate but could also accelerate the formation of the postulated Fe(II)-semiquinonato intermediate. The stability of 2 under O 2 also demonstrates the importance of the Fe(II) oxidation state in order to lead to a peroxo form of the oxygen adduct. The insensitivity of [LFe III (DBC)] − to O 2 argues against the view of the dioxygenase activity as the result of an electrophilic attack of the catecholato by O 2 in model complexes.

The complexes [L(5)Fe(II)Cl]BPh(4) and [L(5)Fe(II)(H(2)O)](BPh(4))(2) (L(5) = N,N,N'-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)-N'-methyl-ethane-1,2-diamine) have been isolated. Bernal et al. (Bernal, J.; et al. J. Chem. Soc., Dalton Trans. 1995, 3667-3675) have prepared this ligand and the corresponding complex [L(5)Fe(II)Cl]PF(6). We obtained the structural data of [L(5)Fe(II)Cl]BPh(4) by X-ray diffraction. It crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2(1) with a = 17.645(7) Å, b = 16.077(6) Å, c = 13.934(5) Å, V = 3953(3) Å(3), and Z = 4. It presents Fe(II)-N bond lengths close to 2.2 Å, typical of high-spin Fe(II). In solution the [L(5)Fe(II)(H(2)O)](BPh(4))(2) complex showed a dependence of spin state upon the nature of the solvent. It was high spin in acetone and changed to low spin in acetonitrile. This was detected by UV-vis spectroscopy and by (1)H NMR. Bernal et al. (ibidem) showed that these complexes in the presence of an excess of H(2)O(2) give a purple species, very likely the [L(5)Fe(III)(OOH)](2+) derivative, with spectroscopic signatures analogous to those of "activated bleomycin". The formation of [L(5)Fe(III)(OOH)](2+) is confirmed here by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. We found that a L(5)/Fe system gave single-strand breaks on plasmid DNA in the presence of either a reducing agent (ascorbate) and air or oxidants (H(2)O(2), KHSO(5), MMPP) at 0.1mgr;M concentration. The methyl group in L(5) was substituted by a (CH(2))(5)N(CH(3))(3)(+) group in order to get higher affinity with DNA. The corresponding ligand L(5)(+) was used to prepare the complexes [L(5)(+)Fe(II)Cl]Y(2) (Y = BPh(4)(-), PF(6)(-), ClO(4)(-)) and [L(5)(+)Fe(II)Br](PF(6))(2). The crystal structure of [L(5)(+)Fe(II)Cl](ClO(4))(2) was solved. It crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2(1)/a with a = 14.691(2) Å, b = 13.545(2) Å, c = 17.430(2) Å, beta = 93.43(1) degrees, V = 3462(1) Å(3), and Z = 4. The Fe(II)-ligand distances are similar to those of [L(5)Fe(II)Cl]BPh(4). At the relatively low concentration of 0.01mgr;M, [L(5)(+)Fe(II)Br](2+) promoted DNA breaks. The reaction was not inhibited by hydroxyl radical scavengers. The reaction might involve a nondiffusible oxygen reactive species, either a coordinated hydroperoxide or a high-valent metal-oxo entity.