Oxygenative cleavage of catechols including protocatechuic acid with molecular oxygen in water catalysed by water-soluble non-heme iron(III) complexes in relevance to catechol dioxygenases

Catechol dioxygenase model oxygenations have been performed for the first time in water by using water-soluble nonheme iron(III) complexes, enabling the oxygenation of protocatechuic acid and other catechols.