Electron and hydrogen-atom self-exchange reactions of iron and cobalt coordination complexes

Reported here are self-exchange reactions between iron 2,2'-bi(tetrahydro)pyrimidine (H(2)bip) complexes and between cobalt 2,2'-biimidazoline (H(2)bim) complexes. The (1)H NMR resonances of [Fe(II)(H(2)bip)(3)](2+) are broadened upon addition of [Fe(III)(H(2)bip)(3)](3+), indicating that electron self-exchange occurs with k(Fe,e)(-) = (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(5) M(-1) s(-1) at 298 K in CD(3)CN. Similar studies of [Fe(II)(H(2)bip)(3)](2+) plus [Fe(III)(Hbip)(H(2)bip)(2)](2+) indicate that hydrogen-atom self-exchange (proton-coupled electron transfer) occurs with k(Fe,H.) = (1.1 +/- 0.2) x 10(4) M(-1) s(-1) under the same conditions. Both self-exchange reactions are faster at lower temperatures, showing small negative enthalpies of activation: DeltaH++(e(-)) = -2.1 +/- 0.5 kcal mol(-1) (288-320 K) and DeltaH++(H.) = -1.5 +/- 0.5 kcal mol(-1) (260-300 K). This behavior is concluded to be due to the faster reaction of the low-spin states of the iron complexes, which are depopulated as the temperature is raised. Below about 290 K, rate constants for electron self-exchange show the more normal decrease with temperature. There is a modest kinetic isotope effect on H-atom self-exchange of 1.6 +/- 0.5 at 298 K that is close to that seen previously for the fully high-spin iron biimidazoline complexes.(12) The difference in the measured activation parameters, E(a)(D) - E(a)(H), is -1.2 +/- 0.8 kcal mol(-1), appears to be inconsistent with a semiclassical view of the isotope effect, and suggests extensive tunneling. Reactions of [Co(H(2)bim)(3)](2+)-d(24) with [Co(H(2)bim)(3)](3+) or [Co(Hbim)(H(2)bim)(2)](2+) occur with scrambling of ligands indicating inner-sphere processes. The self-exchange rate constant for outer-sphere electron transfer between [Co(H(2)bim)(3)](2+) and [Co(H(2)bim)(3)](3+) is estimated to be 10(-)(6) M(-1) s(-1) by application of the Marcus cross relation. Similar application of the cross relation to H-atom transfer reactions indicates that self-exchange between [Co(H(2)bim)(3)](2+) and [Co(Hbim)(H(2)bim)(2)](2+) is also slow, < or =10(-3) M(-1) s(-1). The slow self-exchange rates for the cobalt complexes are apparently due to their interconverting high-spin [Co(II)(H(2)bim)(3)](2+) with low-spin Co(III) derivatives.