Synthesis 2005(9): 1538-1542  
DOI: 10.1055/s-2005-865334
PAPER
© Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York

On the Mechanism of Cytochrome P450-Catalyzed Oxidations: Reaction of a New Enzyme Model with a Radical Clock

Laura Sbaragli, Wolf-D. Woggon*
Department of Chemistry, University of Basel, St. Johanns-Ring 19, 4056 Basel, Switzerland
Fax: +41(61)2671102; e-Mail: wolf-d.woggon@unibas.ch.;
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Publikationsverlauf

Received 15 March 2005
Publikationsdatum:
21. April 2005 (online)

Abstract

trans-2-Phenyl-methylcyclopropane was oxidized using PhIO and a P450 enzyme model carrying a SO3 - ligand coordinating to iron. Analysis of the product distribution revealed a ratio of 9:1 of the non-rearranged cyclopropyl methanol 18 over 1,1-allyl phenyl methanol 16. Given the rate of rearrangement k = 1.8·1011 sec-1 of the phenyl cyclopropyl methyl radical 14 in solution, the life time of the intermediate radical cluster I C-H can be calculated as 625 fsec. The hydroxylation proceeds by concerted non-synchronous ‘O’-insertion into the C-H bond of the methyl group.