Mechanism of dihydrogen cleavage by high-valent metal oxo compounds: experimental and computational studies

The oxidation of dihydrogen by metal tetraoxo compounds was investigated. Kinetic measurements of the oxidations of H(2) by MnO(4)(-) and RuO(4), performed by UV-vis spectroscopy, showed these reactions to be quite rapid at 25 degrees C (k(1) approximately (3-6) x 10(-2) M(-1) s(-1)). Rates measured for H(2) oxidation by MnO(4)(-) in aqueous solution (using KMnO(4)) and in chlorobenzene (using (n)Bu(4)NMnO(4)) revealed only a minor solvent effect on the reaction rate. Substantial kinetic isotope effects [(k(H)2/k(D)2 = 3.8(2) (MnO(4)(-), aq), 4.5(5) (MnO(4)(-), C(6)H(5)Cl soln), and 1.8(6) (RuO(4), CCl(4) soln)] indicated that H-H bond cleavage is rate determining and that the mechanism of dihydrogen cleavage is likely similar in aqueous and organic solutions. Third-row transition-metal oxo compounds, such as OsO(4), ReO(4)(-), and MeReO(3), were found to be completely unreactive toward H(2). Experiments were performed to probe for a catalytic hydrogen/deuterium exchange between D(2) and H(2)O as possible evidence of dihydrogen sigma-complex intermediates, but no H/D exchange was observed in the presence of various metal oxo compounds at various pH values. In addition, no inhibition of RuO(4)-catalyzed hydrocarbon oxidation by H(2) was observed. On the basis of the available evidence, a concerted mechanism for the cleavage of H(2) by metal tetraoxo compounds is proposed. Theoretical models were developed for pertinent MnO(4)(-) + H(2) transition states using density functional theory in order to differentiate between concerted [2 + 2] and [3 + 2] scissions of H(2). The density functional theory calculations strongly favor the [3 + 2] mechanism and show that the H(2) cleavage shares some mechanistic features with related hydrocarbon oxidation reactions. The calculated activation energy for the [3 + 2] pathway (DeltaH(++) = 15.4 kcal mol(-1)) is within 2 kcal mol(-1) of the experimental value.