Understanding Hydrogen Atom Transfer: From Bond Strengths to Marcus Theory

Hydrogen atom transfer (HAT), a key step in many chemical, environmental, and biological processes, is one of the fundamental chemical reactions: A−H + B → A + H−B. Traditional HAT involves p-block radicals such as tert-BuO• abstracting H• from organic molecules. More recently, the recognition that transition metal species undergo HAT has led to a broader perspective, with HAT viewed as a type of proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET). When transition metal complexes oxidize substrates by removing H• (e− + H+), typically the electron transfers to the metal and the proton to a ligand. Examples with iron-imidazolinate, vanadium-oxo, and many other complexes are discussed. Although these complexes may not "look like" main group radicals, they have the same pattern of reactivity. For instance, their HAT rate constants parallel the A−H bond strengths within a series of similar reactions. Like main group radicals, they abstract H• much faster from O−H bonds than from C−H bonds of the same strength, showing that driving force is not the only determinant of reactivity. This Account describes our development of a conceptual framework for HAT with a Marcus theory approach. In the simplest model, the cross relation uses the self-exchange rate constants (kAH/A for AH + A) and the equilibrium constant to predict the rate constant for AH + B: kAH/B = (kAH/AkBH/BKeqf)1/2. For a variety of transition metal oxidants, kAH/B is predicted within one or two orders of magnitude with only a few exceptions. For 36 organic reactions of oxyl radicals, kAH/B is predicted with an average deviation of a factor of 3.8, and within a factor of 5 for all but six of the reactions. These reactions involve both O−H or C−H bonds, occur in either water or organic solvents, and occur over a range of 1028 in Keq and 1013 in kAH/B. The treatment of organic reactions includes the well-established kinetic solvent effect on HAT reactions. This is one of a number of secondary effects that the simple cross relation does not include, such as hydrogen tunneling and the involvement of precursor and successor complexes. This Account includes a number of case studies to illustrate these and various other issues. The success of the cross relation, despite its simplicity, shows that the Marcus approach based on free energies and intrinsic barriers captures much of the essential chemistry of HAT reactions. Among the insights derived from the analysis is that reactions correlate with free energies, not with bond enthalpies. Moreover, the radical character or spin state of an oxidant is not a primary determinant of HAT abstracting ability. The intrinsic barriers for HAT reactions can be understood, at least in part, as Marcus-type inner-sphere reorganization energies. The intrinsic barriers for diverse cross reactions are accurately obtained from the HAT self-exchange rate constants, a remarkable and unprecedented result for any type of chemical reaction other than electron transfer. The Marcus cross relation thus provides a valuable new framework for understanding and predicting HAT reactivity.