Iron(III) complexes of DL-methionine

Abstract

Few iron(111) complexes of amino acids have been isolated although attempts have been made to measure their stabilities in solution. Iron(111) in the presence of various amino acids showed no complex formation during pH titration in aqueous solution. Using oxidation-reduction and spectrophotometric techniques Perrin measured the stabilities of 1 : 1 complexes of iron(111) with different amino acids in solutions of low pH. Rapid hydrolysis of iron(111) occurred when the pH was increased even in the presence of a large excess of amino acids. Bielig and Bayer reported the isolation of a bis-complex of iron(111) and methionine prepared in aqueous solution. McAuliffe, Quagliano, and Vallarinoe reported a tris-complex made in ethanol, though their iron analysis was not consistent with the required structure. In both cases magnetic and infrared studies were used to characterize the products. Our attempts to repeat these preparations were unsuccessful. This paper describes the preparation of two 1 : 1 complexes of methionine and iron(111) and an investigation of their properties by analysis of infrared, magnetic, and N.M.R. measurements.