An accurately-constructed structural model for an active site of Fe-containing superoxide dismutases (Fe-SODs).

A novel structural model, [Fe(bpga)(N(3))(OCH(3))] (1) (BPGA: bis(6-pivalamido-2-pyridylmethyl)(carboxy-methyl)amine), for an active site of Fe-containing SOD enzyme with N(3)(-) has been accurately designed and prepared, which has been characterized by X-ray structure analysis and UV-vis, ESR, and IR spectroscopies. Reaction of 1 with acid/base in methanol has shown that the superoxide-accessible site is the N(3)(-)-coordination site in the equatorial plane.