Investigations on the detailed mechanisms of oxygen and peroxide activation at the metal centers

    Dioxygen and hydrogen peroxide are the oxidants of choice for any applications because of their availability, low cost, and environmentally clean chemistry. The proper design of metal-containing catalysts requires an understanding of the individual steps in oxygen and peroxide activation.

The main distinguishing feature of most synthetic iron complexes is producing the OH radical (Fenton chemistry) resulting in to non-selective oxidation. In contrast, all natural metallocomplexes show a very high selectivity in substrate oxidation. This is why understanding of mechanistic differences between free-radical and "radical free" activation is important for revealing the mechanisms of enzyme function and in catalyst design.