A series of mononuclear iron (III) complexes as functional and structural model compounds for intradiol cleaving catechol dioxygenases were synthesized. For all model compounds the iron (III) cores are in a distorted octahedral environment derived from tripodal tetradentate N4-donor ligands and a catechol. Model complexes for enzyme–substrate adducts were characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical methods, and in four cases by single- ...
