Model complexes for the high spin iron(II) state in the catalytic cycle of cytochrome P450

Studies using ⁵⁷Fe Mössbauer spectroscopy on frozen concentrated solutions of two iron(II) porphyrins in the presence of a large excess of thiophenol or 2-mercaptoethanol are reported. The iron(II) porphyrins used were photoporphyrin IX iron(II) (PPIXFe(II)) and tetra(p-sulphophenyl)porphinato-iron(II) (TTPPSFe(II)). Evidence for high-spin five-coordinate iron(II) complexes were found for both iron(II) porphyrins with thiophenol, but no reaction was found to occur with 2-mecaptoethanol. In contrast to these findings in solutions dilute in TPPSFe(II) evidence was found (from electronic absorption spectroscopy and spectrophotometric titrations) for both thiophenol and 2-mercaptoethanol acting as axial ligands in high-spin five-coordinate TPPSFe(II) species. Mössbauer data for frozen solutions containing TPPSFe(II), carbon monoxide (CO) and either thiol, are consistent with the presence of only low-spin six-coordinate iron(II) complexes. These latter complexes are deduced to contain both a thiol and a CO molecule as axial ligands> These results are discussed in relation to earlier work on PPIXFe(II)-thiol solutions and also in relation to the high-spin iron(II) state in the catalytic cycle of cytochrome P450.The reactions of TPPSFe(II) with excess of either 2-mercaptoethanol or ethyl 2-mercaptoacetate in air are also reported and their complex nature discussed.