Mechanistic studies on the reactions of cyanide with a water-soluble Fe(III) porphyrin and their effect on the binding of NO.

The reaction of the water-soluble Fe(III)(TMPS) porphyrin with CN(-) in basic solution leads to the stepwise formation of Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(H(2)O) and Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(2). The kinetics of the reaction of CN(-) with Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(H(2)O) was studied as a function of temperature and pressure. The positive value of the activation volume for the formation of Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(2) is consistent with the operation of a dissociatively activated mechanism and confirms the six-coordinate nature of the monocyano complex. A good agreement between the rate constants at pH 8 and 9 for the formation of the dicyano complex implies the presence of water in the axial position trans to coordinated cyanide in the monocyano complex and eliminates the existence of Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(OH) under the selected reaction conditions. Both Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(H(2)O) and Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(2) bind nitric oxide (NO) to form the same nitrosyl complex, namely, Fe(II)(TMPS)(CN)(NO(+)). Kinetic studies indicate that nitrosylation of Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(2) follows a limiting dissociative mechanism that is supported by the independence of the observed rate constant on [NO] at an appropriately high excess of NO, and the positive values of both the activation parameters ΔS(‡) and ΔV(‡) found for the reaction under such conditions. The relatively small first-order rate constant for NO binding, namely, (1.54 ± 0.01) × 10(-2) s(-1), correlates with the rate constant for CN(-) release from the Fe(III)(TMPS)(CN)(2) complex, namely, (1.3 ± 0.2) × 10(-2) s(-1) at 20 °C, and supports the proposed nitrosylation mechanism.