Non-heme iron(II/III) complexes that model the reactivity of lipoxygenase with a redox switch.

Three ferrous/ferric complexes of a N6 hexadentate ligand, N,N,N',N'-tetrakis(2-benzimidazolyl-methyl)ortho-diamine-trans-cyclohexane (ctb), Fe(II)(ctb)(2).EtOH (), Fe(III)(OEt)(Hctb)(3).EtOH (), and Fe(III)(OMe)(Hctb)(3).3MeOH.4.5H(2)O (), were synthesized and characterized as models of lipoxygenase. The lipoxygenase activities of the complexes were checked and the results indicate that ferrous complex is inactive while ferric alkoxide complexes and show catalytic activity via the hydrogen atom abstraction reaction mechanism.