Steric control and the mechanism of benzaldehyde oxidation by polypyridyl oxoiron(IV) complexes: aromatic versus benzylic hydroxylation of aromatic aldehydes

The present study describes the first example of the hydroxylation of benzaldehydes by synthetic nonheme oxoiron(IV) complexes, where the reactivity, chemoselectivity, and mechanism were strongly influenced by the ligand environment of the iron center.