The formation of a luminescent Mn(III,IV) intermediate of bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and acetone assistant its intramolecular C-H oxidation.

The dinuclear Mn(II) complexes of bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine (dpa) reacted with H(2)O(2) producing a fluorescent dioxodimanganese(III,IV) intermediate [(dpa)Mn(2)Cl(2)(μ-O(2))(OHdpa)](3+), which was characterized by IR, UV, ESR, ES-MS and fluorescence spectra. ES-MS data show that this intermediate could bind an acetone molecule forming dioxodimanganese(III,IV)-acetone adduct [(dpa)Mn(2)Cl(2)(μ-O)(CH(3)COCH(3))(OHdpa)](3+). The emission of dioxodimanganese(III,IV)-acetone at 378 nm was stronger than that of dioxodimanganese(III,IV) complex. Excess acetone molecules promoted the intramolecular C-H oxidation and the formation of one dimensional chain Mn(II) complex [(2-picolinic-acid)Mn(H(2)O)(2)Cl(O)](n) through possible intramolecular oxygen transfer reaction.