Abstract
$[Fe^{II}Fe^{III}BPLMP(OAc)_2](BPh_4)_2$ (1), a new model for the reduced form of the purple acid phosphatases, has been synthesized by using a dinucleating ligand, 2,6-bis[((2-pyridylmethyl)(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)amino) methyl]-4-methylphenol (HBPLMP). Complex I has been characterized by X-ray diffraction method as having (μ-phenoxo)bis(acetato)diiron core. Complex 1 was crystallized in the monoclinic space group C2/c with the following cell parameters: a=41.620(6) Å, b=14.020(3) Å, c=27.007(4) Å, β=90.60(2)°, and Z=8. The iron centers in the complex 1 are ordered as indicated by the difference in the Fe-O bond lengths which match well with typical $Fe^{III}-O\; and\; Fe^{II}-O$ bond lengths. Complex 1 has been studied by electronic spectral, NMR, EPR, SQUID, and electochemical methods. Complex 1 exhibits strong bands at 592 nm, 1380 nm in $CH_3CN$ (ε = 1.0 × 103 , 3.0 × 102). These are assigned to $phenolate-to-Fe^{III}$ and intervalence charge-transfer transitions, respectively. Its NMR spectrum exhibits sharp isotropically shifted resonances, which number half of those expected for a valence-trapped species, indicating that electron transfer between $Fe^{II}\;and\;Fe^{III}$ centers is faster than NMR time scale. This complex undergoes quasireversible one-electron redox processes. The $Fe^{III}_2/Fe^{II}Fe^{III}\;and\;Fe^{II}Fe^{III}/Fe^{II}_2$ redox couples are at 0.655 and -0.085 V vs SCE, respectively. It has $K_{comp}=3.3{\times}10^{12}$ representing that BPLMP/bis(acetate) ligand combination stabilizes a mixed-valence $Fe^{II}Fe^{III}$ complex in the air. Complex 1 exhibits a broad EPR signal centered near g=1.55 which is a characteristic feature of the antiferromagnetically coupled high-spin $Fe^{II}Fe^{III}$ system $(S_{total}=1/2)$. This is consistent with the magnetic susceptibility study showing the weak antiferromagnetic coupling $(J= - 4.6\;cm^{-1},\; H= - 2JS_1{\cdot}S2)$ between $Fe^{II}\; and \;Fe^{III}$center.