Theoretical investigation of five-coordinated manganese(III) oxophlorin with different axial ligands at various spin states using different DFT methods

The Mn(III)-oxophlorin complexes with imidazole, pyridine and t-butylcyanide as axial ligands have been studied using B3LYP, Bv86p, and M06-2X methods. All of the possible optimized geometries are specified, while the M06-2X is employed. Results obtained show that the isomers of Mn(III)-oxophlorin with imidazole or pyridine are the most stable at quintet state, compared to singlet and triplet spin states. Besides, there are two and four [Formula: see text]-electrons on manganese in each of these complexes at triplet and quintet states, respectively. Also, Mn(III)-oxophlorin with t-butylcyanide as axial ligand is only stable at singlet state. Non-specific solvent effects show that dispersion and London forces have the basic role in stability of complexes in a solvent. Note that latter interactions can occur in medium with dielectric constant ([Formula: see text]) of [Formula: see text]8, such as [Formula: see text] for position of oxophlorin in heme oxygenase enzyme. NBO analysis show that there is no degeneracy between d orbitals of Mn in the five-coordinated Mn(III)-oxophlorin at singlet and triplet spin states, but two d orbitals of manganese are degenerated in latter complexes at quintet state. Such degeneracy of d orbitals is observed in a complex with square pyramid structure. Then five-coordinated Mn(III)-oxophlorin with imidazole or pyridine is the most stable at quintet spin state, because of its geometry corresponding to square pyramid configuration of atoms. Also, nonbounding interaction between Mn and the ring of oxophlorin or Mn and ligand are more effective in Mn(III)-oxophlorin with imidazole as axial ligand, compared to pyridine and t-butylcyanide.