Electrochemical Properties and Reactivity Study of [MnV(O)(μ-OR-Lewis Acid)] Cores.

A mononuclear manganese(V) oxo complex of a bis(amidate)bis(alkoxide) ligand, (NMe4)[MnV(HMPAB)(O)] [2; H4HMPAB = 1,2-bis(2-hydroxy-2-methylpropanamido)benzene], was synthesized and structurally characterized. A Mn-Oterm distance of 1.566(4) Å was observed in the solid-state structure of 2, consistent with the Mn≡O formulation. The reaction of redox-inactive metal ions (Mn+ = Li+, Ca2+, Mg2+, Y3+, and Sc3+) with 2 resulted in the formation of 2-Mn+ species, which were characterized by UV-vis, 1H NMR, cyclic voltammetry, and in situ IR spectroscopy. Theoretical calculations suggested that the alkoxide oxygen atoms of the ligand scaffold are energetically most favorable for coordinating the Mn+ ions in 2. Complex 2 revealed one-electron-reduction potential at -0.01 V versus ferrocenium/ferrocene, which shifted anodically upon coordination of Mn+ ions to 2, and such a shift became more prominent with stronger Lewis acids. The oxygen-atom transfer (OAT) reactivities of 2 and 2-Mn+ species with triphenylphosphine were compared, which exhibited a systematic increase of the reaction rate with increasing Lewis acidity of Mn+ ions, and a plot of log k2 versus Lewis acidity of Mn+ ions (ΔE) followed a linear relationship. It was observed that 2-Sc3+ was ca. 3200 times more reactive toward the OAT reaction compared to 2. Hammett analysis of 2 exhibited a V-shaped plot, indicating a change of the reaction mechanism upon going from electron-rich to electron-deficient Ar3P substrates. In contrast, 2-Ca2+ and 2-Sc3+ showed an electrophilic nature toward the OAT reaction, thus demonstrating the role of the Lewis acid in controlling the OAT mechanism. The hydrogen-atom abstraction reaction of 2 and 2-Mn+ adducts with 1-benzyl-1,4-dihydronicotinamide was investigated, and it was observed that the rate of reaction did not vary considerably with the Lewis acidity of Mn+ ions. On the basis of Eyring analysis of 2 and 2-Mn+ adducts, we hypothesized an entropy-controlled hydrogen-atom-transfer reaction for 2-Sc3+, which is different from the reaction mechanism of 2 and 2-Ca2+.