Oxygen activation and intramolecular C-H bond activation by an amidate-bridged diiron(II) complex

A diiron(II) complex containing two μ-1,3-(κN:κO)-amidate linkages has been synthesized using the 2,2′,2′′- tris(isobutyrylamido)triphenylamine (H₃L^iPr) ligand. The resulting diiron complex, 1, reacts with dioxygen (or iodosylbenzene) to effect intramolecular C-H bond activation at the methine position of the ligand isopropyl group. The ligand-activated product, 2, has been isolated and characterized by a variety of methods including X-ray crystallography. Electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy of 2 prepared from¹⁸O ₂ was used to confirm that the oxygen atom incorporated into the ligand framework is derived from molecular oxygen.