Abstract:

The universal theme of this dissertation takes inspiration from metalloenzyme active sites, which utilize intricate cofactors to catalyze demanding reactions that are often difficult to emulate in synthetic systems. Inspired by iron-sulfur clusters found in a variety of metalloenzymes, part of this work focuses on the preparation and properties of iron complexes supported by a sulfur-based, redox-active pincer ligand. Additionally, given the prevalence of metal–oxido species as the reactive intermediates of many C–H bond activation processes, the other part of this work investigates the impact of hydrogen bonding interactions on the reactivity of a high-valent iron(IV)–oxido complex supported by a tripodal ligand framework.