Synthesis and redox characteristics of iron complexes with triphenylsubstituted corrols in the presence of argon and oxygen

Abstract

para-Substituted iron meso-triphenylcorrole derivatives [Fe(ms-p-R-Ph)₃Cor] containing electron- donating (R = OMе) and electron-drawing (R = NO₂) groups in phenyl rings are synthesized and characterized by ¹H NMR, electronic absorption spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The effect of the nature of functional groups within iron complexes on the redox processes involving these complexes in water–alkaline solutions is analyzed. Electronic transitions in the ligand (E_red/ox = 0.820–0.850 V) and the metal (E_red/ox =–0.005 to–0.190 and–0.790 to–0.870 V for the Fe⁴⁺ ↔ Fe³⁺ and Fe³⁺ ↔ Fe²⁺ transitions, respectively) were found in the cyclic voltammograms. Iron in the synthesized complexes I–IV under the conditions under study exists in the +4 oxidation state. The activity of iron complexes in electroreduction of molecular oxygen significantly depends on the nature of a substituent, increases in the series: Fe(ms-p-NO₂Ph)₃Cor (II) < Fe(ms-p-MeOPh)₃Cor (I) < Fe(β-Br)₈(ms-Ph)₃Cor (IV) < Fe(ms-Ph)₃Cor (II) and is caused by the fact that low-energy redox electron transitions occur in the molecules. The electrocatalytic activity of iron corroles is much higher than that of metal porphyrins with a similar structure.