Mechanistic insight into the aromatic hydroxylation by high-valent iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin pi-cation radical complexes.

Mechanistic studies of the aromatic hydroxylation by high-valent iron(IV)-oxo porphyrin pi-cation radicals revealed that the aromatic oxidation involves an initial electrophilic attack on the pi-system of the aromatic ring to produce a tetrahedral radical or cationic sigma-complex. The mechanism was proposed on the basis of experimental results such as a large negative Hammett rho value and an inverse kinetic isotope effect. By carrying out isotope labeling studies, the oxygen in oxygenated products was found to derive from the iron-oxo porphyrin intermediates.