COVALENTLY-LINKED OXOMOLYBDENUM(V) AND IRON(III) PORPHYRIN CENTERS - SYNTHETIC MODELS FOR THE MOLYBDENUM IRON INTERACTION IN SULFITE OXIDASE

The modified tetraarylporphyrins 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tri-p-t olylporphyrin (3,4-OH-TTP, 3) and 2,3-dihydroxyphenyl)-10,15,20-tri-p- tolylporphyrin (2,3-OH-TTP, 4) that possess a single pendant catechol group at one of the meso positions have been synthesized and used to i nvestigate the coupling between oxo-Mo(V) and Fe(III) centers as preli minary models for the inter-prosthetic group interaction in sulfite ox idase. Reaction of these novel ligands with LMoO(2+) (L = hydrotris(3, 5-dimethyl-1-pyrazolyl)borate) followed by insertion of Fe(III) into t he porphyrin generates the bimetallic complexes FeCl(3,4-Mo-TTP) (11) and FeCl(2,3-Mo-TTP) (12) with controlled Mo...Fe distances of 9.4 and 7.3 Angstrom, respectively, as determined from computer modeling. Add ition of excess N-methylimidazole (N-MeIm) produces the six-coordinate complexes Fe(N-MeIm)(2)(3,4-Mo-TTP)Cl (13) and Fe-(N-MeIm)(2)(2,3-Mo- TTP)Cl (14) with low-spin Fe(III) centers and two axial imidazole liga nds. The formation constants for these bimetallic bis(N-methylimidazol e) complexes are larger than those for related six-coordinated monomet allic Fe(III) complexes of asymmetric porphyrin ligands. The interacti on between the two S = 1/2 metal centers of Fe-(N-MeIm)(2)(3,4-Mo-TTP) Cl and Fe(N-MeIm)(2)(2,3-Mo-TTP)Cl has been probed by cyclic voltammet ry and EPR spectroscopy. Simulation of the EPR spectra of these bimeta llic Mo...Fe complexes shows that weak anisotropic dipolar coupling do minates the interaction between the two metals in Fe(N-MeIm)(2)(3,4-Mo -TTP)Cl (Mo...Fe similar to 9.4 Angstrom), whereas weak exchange inter actions ((3-70) X 10(-3) cm(-1), 100-2000 MHz) predominate for Fe(N-Me Im)(2)(2,3-TTP)Cl (Mo...Fe similar to 7.9 Angstrom). The EPR simulatio ns for both Fe(N-MeIm)(2)(3,4-Mo-TTP)Cl and Fe(N-MeIm)(2)(2,3-Mo-TTP)C l require a distribution of coupling interaction energies, consistent with the presence of several rotamers of the N-methylimidazole ligand in solution that produce different orientations of the in-plane magnet ic axes of the porphyrin. Cyclic voltammetry shows that two metal cent ers of Fe(N-MeIm)(2)(3,4-Mo-TTP)Cl and Fe(N-MeIm)(2)(2,3-Mo-TTP)Cl beh ave essentially as independent one-electron couples, but the potential of the Mo(V/IV) couple is sensitive to the electronic state and charg e on the metalloporphyrin core.