Cyclam-strapped porphyrins and their iron(III)–copper(II) complexes as models for the resting state of cytochrome c oxidase

The ESR study of two cyclam-strapped porphyrins in which, on one side, the cyclam is attached with a variable length linker to the porphyrin and, on the other side, a non-coordinating strap protects the iron from any intermolecular interaction, is reported. Variation of the linker length is made possible by the use of either a Michael reaction or a nucleophilic substitution, leading respectively to three or two carbon atom links. It is shown that in the case of the shortest link, the oxidized iron–copper complex exhibits a spin interaction. The distance between the two metal centers is evaluated to be around 4.5 Å, a value consistent with the one found in the natural enzyme.