Oxygenative Cleavage of Chlorocatechols with Molecular Oxygen Catalyzed by Non-Heme Iron(III) Complexes and Its Relevance to Chlorocatechol Dioxygenases

Abstract

The degradation of halogenated arenes, which are considered as hazardous compounds from a toxicological and environmental point of view, can be effected by non-heme iron enzymes such as chlorocatechol dioxygenases. In principle, this process of biological oxygenation mimics the reaction of the iron complex shown below [Eq. (a); Py=2-pyridyl].