The factors that control the oxidation of metals in bimetallic complexes ar
e investigated in relation to the possibility of developing one-site additi
on two-metal oxidation reactions such as those that occur in the respirator
y protein, hemerythrin. It is shown that the behavior of bimetallic complex
es is not represented by the sum of thr analogous monometallic parts becaus
e of metal and ligand interactions.