Photochemical oxidation of a manganese(III) complex with oxygen and toluene derivatives to form a manganese(V)-Oxo complex

Visible light photoirradiation of an oxygen-saturated benzonitrile solution of a manganese(III) corrolazine complex [(TBP₈Cz)Mn^III] (1): [TBP₈Cz = octakis(p-tert-butylphenyl)corrolazinato^3-] in the presence of toluene derivatives resulted in formation of the manganese(V)-oxo complex [(TBP₈Cz)Mn^V(O)]. The photochemical oxidation of (TBP₈Cz)Mn^III with O ₂ and hexamethylbenzene (HMB) led to the isosbestic conversion of 1 to (TBP₈Cz)Mn^V(O), accompanied by the selective oxidation of HMB to pentamethylbenzyl alcohol (87%). The formation rate of (TBP ₈Cz)Mn^V(O) increased with methyl group substitution, from toluene, p-xylene, mesitylene, durene, pentamethylbenzene, up to hexamethylbenzene. Deuterium kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) were observed for toluene (KIE = 5.4) and mesitylene (KIE = 5.3). Femtosecond laser flash photolysis of (TBP₈Cz)Mn^III revealed the formation of a tripquintet excited state, which was rapidly converted to a tripseptet excited state. The tripseptet excited state was shown to be the key, activated state that reacts with O₂ via a diffusion-limited rate constant. The data allow for a mechanism to be proposed in which the tripseptet excited state reacts with O₂ to give the putative (TBP₈Cz)Mn ^IV(O₂^•-), which then abstracts a hydrogen atom from the toluene derivatives in the rate-determining step. The mechanism of hydrogen abstraction is discussed by comparison of the reactivity with the hydrogen abstraction from the same toluene derivatives by cumylperoxyl radical. Taken together, the data suggest a new catalytic method is accessible for the selective oxidation of C-H bonds with O₂ and light, and the first evidence for catalytic oxidation of C-H bonds was obtained with 10-methyl-9,10-dihydroacridine as a substrate.