Reactions of Tetrabromocatecholatomanganese(III) Complexes with Dioxygen

Abstract

New five- and six-coordinate complexes containing the [Mn(III)(Br4cat)2](-) core (Br4cat(2-) = tetrabromo-1,2-catecholate) have been prepared. Homoleptic [Mn(III)(Br4cat)3](3-) reacts rapidly with O2 to produce tetrabromo-1,2-benzoquinone (Br4bq). The [Mn(III)(Br4cat)2](-) fragment is a robust catalytic platform for the aerobic conversion of catechols to quinones. The oxidase activity apparently derives from the coupling of metal- and ligand-centered redox events.