Design and Evaluation of [18F]CHDI-650 as a Positron Emission Tomography Ligand to Image Mutant Huntingtin Aggregates.

Therapeutic interventions are being developed for Huntington's disease (HD), a hallmark of which is mutant huntingtin protein (mHTT) aggregates. Following the advancement to human testing of two [11C]-PET ligands for aggregated mHTT, attributes for further optimization were identified. We replaced the pyridazinone ring of CHDI-180 with a pyrimidine ring and minimized off-target binding using brain homogenate derived from Alzheimer's disease patients. The major in vivo metabolic pathway via aldehyde oxidase was blocked with a 2-methyl group on the pyrimidine ring. A strategically placed ring-nitrogen on the benzoxazole core ensured high free fraction in the brain without introducing efflux. Replacing a methoxy pendant with a fluoro-ethoxy group and introducing deuterium atoms suppressed oxidative defluorination and accumulation of [18F]-signal in bones. The resulting PET ligand, CHDI-650, shows a rapid brain uptake and washout profile in non-human primates and is now being advanced to human testing.

Development of a ligand for in vivo imaging of mutant huntingtin in Huntington's disease.

Huntington's disease (HD) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG trinucleotide expansion in the huntingtin (HTT) gene that encodes the pathologic mutant HTT (mHTT) protein with an expanded polyglutamine (polyQ) tract. Whereas several therapeutic programs targeting mHTT expression have advanced to clinical evaluation, methods to visualize mHTT protein species in the living brain are lacking. Here, we demonstrate the development and characterization of a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging radioligand with high affinity and selectivity for mHTT aggregates. This small molecule radiolabeled with 11C ([11C]CHDI-180R) allowed noninvasive monitoring of mHTT pathology in the brain and could track region- and time-dependent suppression of mHTT in response to therapeutic interventions targeting mHTT expression in a rodent model. We further showed that in these animals, therapeutic agents that lowered mHTT in the striatum had a functional restorative effect that could be measured by preservation of striatal imaging markers, enabling a translational path to assess the functional effect of mHTT lowering.

Pharmacological characterization of mutant huntingtin aggregate-directed PET imaging tracer candidates.

Huntington's disease (HD) is caused by a CAG trinucleotide repeat expansion in the first exon of the huntingtin (HTT) gene coding for the huntingtin (HTT) protein. The misfolding and consequential aggregation of CAG-expanded mutant HTT (mHTT) underpin HD pathology. Our interest in the life cycle of HTT led us to consider the development of high-affinity small-molecule binders of HTT oligomerized/amyloid-containing species that could serve as either cellular and in vivo imaging tools or potential therapeutic agents. We recently reported the development of PET tracers CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 as suitable for imaging mHTT aggregates, and here we present an in-depth pharmacological investigation of their binding characteristics. We have implemented an array of in vitro and ex vivo radiometric binding assays using recombinant HTT, brain homogenate-derived HTT aggregates, and brain sections from mouse HD models and humans post-mortem to investigate binding affinities and selectivity against other pathological proteins from indications such as Alzheimer's disease and spinocerebellar ataxia 1. Radioligand binding assays and autoradiography studies using brain homogenates and tissue sections from HD mouse models showed that CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 specifically bind mHTT aggregates that accumulate with age and disease progression. Finally, we characterized CHDI-180 and CHDI-626 regarding their off-target selectivity and binding affinity to beta amyloid plaques in brain sections and homogenates from Alzheimer's disease patients.

[11C]CHDI-626, a PET Tracer Candidate for Imaging Mutant Huntingtin Aggregates with Reduced Binding to AD Pathological Proteins.

The expanded polyglutamine-containing mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein is implicated in neuronal degeneration of medium spiny neurons in Huntington's disease (HD) for which multiple therapeutic approaches are currently being evaluated to eliminate or reduce mHTT. Development of effective and orthogonal biomarkers will ensure accurate assessment of the safety and efficacy of pharmacologic interventions. We have identified and optimized a class of ligands that bind to oligomerized/aggregated mHTT, which is a hallmark in the HD postmortem brain. These ligands are potentially useful imaging biomarkers for HD therapeutic development in both preclinical and clinical settings. We describe here the optimization of the benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine series that show selective binding to mHTT aggregates over Aß- and/or tau-aggregates associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology. Compound [11C]-2 was selected as a clinical candidate based on its high free fraction in the brain, specific binding in the HD mouse model, and rapid brain uptake/washout in nonhuman primate positron emission tomography imaging studies.

Quantifying evolving toxicity in the TAML/peroxide mineralization of propranolol.

Oxidative water purification of micropollutants (MPs) can proceed via toxic intermediates calling for procedures for connecting degrading chemical mixtures to evolving toxicity. Herein, we introduce a method for projecting evolving toxicity onto composite changing pollutant and intermediate concentrations illustrated through the TAML/H2O2 mineralization of the common drug and MP, propranolol. The approach consists of identifying the key intermediates along the decomposition pathway (UPLC/GCMS/NMR/UV-Vis), determining for each by simulation and experiment the rate constants for both catalytic and noncatalytic oxidations and converting the resulting predicted concentration versus time profiles to evolving composite toxicity exemplified using zebrafish lethality data. For propranolol, toxicity grows substantially from the outset, even after propranolol is undetectable, echoing that intermediate chemical and toxicity behaviors are key elements of the environmental safety of MP degradation processes. As TAML/H2O2 mimics mechanistically the main steps of peroxidase catalytic cycles, the findings may be relevant to propranolol degradation in environmental waters.

Imaging Mutant Huntingtin Aggregates: Development of a Potential PET Ligand.

Mutant huntingtin (mHTT) protein carrying the elongated N-terminal polyglutamine (polyQ) tract misfolds and forms protein aggregates characteristic of Huntington's disease (HD) pathology. A high-affinity ligand specific for mHTT aggregates could serve as a positron emission tomography (PET) imaging biomarker for HD therapeutic development and disease progression. To identify such compounds with binding affinity for polyQ aggregates, we embarked on systematic structural activity studies; lead optimization of aggregate-binding affinity, unbound fractions in brain, permeability, and low efflux culminated in the discovery of compound 1, which exhibited target engagement in autoradiography (ARG) studies in brain slices from HD mouse models and postmortem human HD samples. PET imaging studies with 11C-labeled 1 in both HD mice and WT nonhuman primates (NHPs) demonstrated that the right-hand-side labeled ligand [11C]-1R (CHDI-180R) is a suitable PET tracer for imaging of mHTT aggregates. [11C]-1R is now being advanced to human trials as a first-in-class HD PET radiotracer.

Oxidative Catalysis by TAMLs: Obtaining Rate Constants for Non-Absorbing Targets by UV-Vis Spectroscopy.

Understanding the catalysis of oxidative reactions by TAML activators of peroxides, i. e. iron(III) complexes of tetraamide macrocyclic ligands, advocated a spectrophotometric procedure for quantifying the catalytic activity of TAMLs for colorless targets (kII ', M-1 s-1 ), which is incomparably more advantageous in terms of time, cost, energy, and ecology than NMR, HPLC, UPLC, GC-MS and other similar techniques. Dyes Orange II or Safranin O (S) are catalytically bleached by non-excessive amount of H2 O2 in the presence of colorless substrates (S1 ) according to the rate law: -d[S]/dt=kI kII [H2 O2 ][S][TAML]/(kI [H2 O2 ]+kII [S]+kII '[S1 ]). The bleaching rate is thus a descending hyperbolic function of S1 : v=ab/(b+[S1 ]). Values of kII ' found from a and b for phenol and propranolol with commonly used TAML [FeIII {o,o'-C6 H4 (NCONMe2 CO)2 CMe2 }2 (OH2 )]+ are consistent with those for S1 (phenol, propranolol) obtained directly by UPLC. The study sends vital messages to enzymologists and environmentalists.

A Synthetically Generated LFeIVOH n Complex.

High-valent Fe-OH species are important intermediates in hydroxylation chemistry. Such complexes have been implicated in mechanisms of oxygen-activating enzymes and have thus far been observed in Compound II of sulfur-ligated heme enzymes like cytochrome P450. Attempts to synthetically model such species have thus far seen relatively little success. Here, the first synthetic FeIVOH n complex has been generated and spectroscopically characterized as either [LFeIVOH]- or [LFeIVOH2]0, where H4L = Me4C2(NHCOCMe2NHCO)2CMe2 is a variant of a tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand (TAML). The steric bulk provided by the replacement of the aryl group with the -CMe2CMe2- unit in this TAML variant prevents dimerization in all oxidation states over a wide pH range, thus allowing the generation of FeIVOH n in near quantitative yield from oxidation of the [LFeIIIOH2]- precursor.

Structural, Mechanistic, and Ultradilute Catalysis Portrayal of Substrate Inhibition in the TAML-Hydrogen Peroxide Catalytic Oxidation of the Persistent Drug and Micropollutant, Propranolol.

TAML activators enable unprecedented, rapid, ultradilute oxidation catalysis where substrate inhibitions might seem improbable. Nevertheless, while TAML/H2O2 rapidly degrades the drug propranolol, a micropollutant (MP) of broad concern, propranolol is shown to inhibit its own destruction under concentration conditions amenable to kinetics studies ([propranolol] = 50 µM). Substrate inhibition manifests as a decrease in the second-order rate constant kI for H2O2 oxidation of the resting FeIII-TAML (RC) to the activated catalyst (AC), while the second-order rate constant kII for attack of AC on propranolol is unaffected. This kinetics signature has been utilized to develop a general approach for quantifying substrate inhibitions. Fragile adducts [propranolol, TAML] have been isolated and subjected to ESI-MS, florescence, UV-vis, FTIR, 1H NMR, and IC examination and DFT calculations. Propranolol binds to FeIII-TAMLs via combinations of noncovalent hydrophobic, coordinative, hydrogen bonding, and Coulombic interactions. Across four studied TAMLs under like conditions, propranolol reduced kI 4-32-fold (pH 7, 25 °C) indicating that substrate inhibition is controllable by TAML design. However, based on the measured kI and calculated equilibrium constant K for propranolol-TAML binding, it is possible to project the impact on kI of reducing [propranolol] from 50 µM to the ultradilute regime typical of MP contaminated waters (≤2 ppb, ≤7 nM for propranolol) where inhibition nearly vanishes. Projecting from 50 µM to higher concentrations, propranolol completely inhibits its own oxidation before reaching mM concentrations. This study is consistent with prior experimental findings that substrate inhibition does not impede TAML/H2O2 destruction of propranolol in London wastewater while giving a substrate inhibition assessment tool for use in the new field of ultradilute oxidation catalysis.

Influences of Bifunctional PNP-Pincer Ligands on Low Valent Cobalt Complexes Relevant to CO2 Hydrogenation.

Pincer ligated coordination complexes bearing bifunctional sites have been at the center of recent developments in reversible hydrogenation catalysis, especially in cases utilizing base metals. The influence of bifunctional ligands on low valent cobalt complexes is detailed here using comparisons between the PNP-pincer ligands MeN[CH2CH2(PR2)]2 and HN[CH2CH2(PR2)]2 (R = iPr, Cy). Comparative catalytic studies of CO2 hydrogenation show that cobalt(I) precatalysts bearing the tertiary amine ligand dramatically outperform those bearing the secondary amine pincer ligand. Despite strong similarities between the precatalyst ground state structure and the redox potentials of the two systems, ligand bifunctionality was found to be detrimental to catalyst productivity. The enhanced stability imparted by the MeN[CH2CH2(PR2)]2 ligand also enabled isolation and characterization of a zero-valent cobalt dicarbonyl species, which was used to study the catalytically active oxidation state of cobalt in CO2 hydrogenation.

Iron(III) Ejection from a "Beheaded" TAML Activator: Catalytically Relevant Mechanistic Insight into the Deceleration of Electrophilic Processes by Electron Donors.

Kinetic studies of the acid-induced ejection of iron(III) show that the more electron-rich tetra-amido-N macrocyclic ligand (TAML) activator [FeIII{(Me2CNCOCMe2NCO)2CMe2}OH2]- (4), which does not have a benzene ring in its head component ("beheaded" TAML), is up to 1 × 104 times more resistant than much less electron-rich [FeIII{1,2-C6H4(NCOCMe2NCO)2CMe2}OH2]- (1a) to the electrophilic attack. This counterintuitive increased resistance is seen in both the specific acid (kobs = k1[H+]/(K + [H+])) and phosphate general acid (kII = (kdiKa1 + ktri[H+])/(Ka1+[H+])) demetalation pathways. Insight into this reactivity puzzle was obtained from coupling kinetic data with theoretical density functional theory modeling. First, although 1a and related complexes are six-coordinate in water, 4 has a strong tendency to repel the second aqua ligand favoring [LFe(OH2)]- and making appropriate the comparison of monoaqua-4 with diaqua-1a in the demetalation process. Second, dearomatization exerts a strong effect on the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energy of five-coordinate monoaqua-4, the presumed target in proton-induced demetalation, stabilizing it by ca. 51 kJ mol-1 compared with monoaqua-1a. Third, the monoaqua-4 HOMO is localized over the N-pπ system of all four N donors in contrast with monoaqua-1a, where N-pπ contributions from the head amides only mix with the aromatic ring π system. Fourth, addition of a second water ligand to monoaqua-1a giving [LFe(OH2)2]- reshapes the monoaqua-1a HOMO by shifting its entire locus from the head to the tail diamido-N section-this HOMO is by 54 kJ mol-1 less stable than the monoaqua-4 HOMO. These features provide the foundations for mechanistic conclusions concerning demetalation that (i) axial water ligands enable a favored path in the six-coordinate case of 1a, where a proton "slides" toward the Fe-N bond and (ii) early and late transition states are realized for 4 and 1a, respectively, with a larger free energy of activation for the beheaded TAML activator 4.

Homogeneous Catalysis Under Ultradilute Conditions: TAML/NaClO Oxidation of Persistent Metaldehyde.

TAML activators enable homogeneous oxidation catalysis where the catalyst and substrate (S) are ultradilute (pM-low µM) and the oxidant is very dilute (high nM-low mM). Water contamination by exceptionally persistent micropollutants (MPs), including metaldehyde (Met), provides an ideal space for determining the characteristics and utilitarian limits of this ultradilute catalysis. The low MP concentrations decrease throughout catalysis with S oxidation (kII) and catalyst inactivation (ki) competing for the active catalyst. The percentage of substrate converted (%Cvn) can be increased by discovering methods to increase kII/ki. Here we show that NaClO extends catalyst lifetime to increase the Met turnover number (TON) 3-fold compared with H2O2, highlighting the importance of oxidant choice as a design tool in TAML systems. Met oxidation studies (pH 7, D2O, 0.01 M phosphate, 25 °C) monitored by 1H NMR spectroscopy show benign acetic acid as the only significant product. Analysis of TAML/NaClO treated Met solutions employing successive identical catalyst doses revealed that the processes can be modeled by the recently published relationship between the initial and final [S] (S0 and S∞, respectively), the initial [catalyst] (FeTot) and kII/ki. Consequently, this study establishes that ΔS is proportional to S0 and that the %Cvn is conserved across all catalyst doses in multicatalyst-dose processes because the rate of the kII process depends on [S] while that of the ki process does not. A general tool for determining the FeTot required to effect a desired %Cvn is presented. Examination of the dependence of TON on kII/ki and FeTot at a fixed S0 indicates that for any TAML process employing FeTot < 1 × 10-6 M, small catalyst doses are not more efficient than one large dose.

A "Beheaded" TAML Activator: A Compromised Catalyst that Emphasizes the Linearity between Catalytic Activity and pKa.

Studies of the new tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand (TAML) activator [FeIII{(Me2CNCOCMe2NCO)2CMe2}OH2]- (4) in water in the pH range of 2-13 suggest its pseudo-octahedral geometry with two nonequivalent axial H2O ligands and revealed (i) the anticipated basic drift of the first pKa of water to 11.38 due to four electron-donating methyl groups alongside (ii) its counterintuitive enhanced resistance to acid-induced iron(III) ejection from the macrocycle. The catalytic activity of 4 in the oxidation of Orange II (S) by H2O2 in the pH range of 7-12 is significantly lower than that of previously reported TAML activators, though it follows the common rate law (v/[FeIII] = kIkII[H2O2][S]/(kI[H2O2] + kII[S]) and typical pH profiles for kI and kII. At pH 7 and 25 °C the rate constants kI and kII equal 0.63 ± 0.02 and 1.19 ± 0.03 M-1 s-1, respectively. With these new values for pKa, kI and kII establishing new high and low limits, respectively, the rate constants kI and kII were correlated with pKa values of all TAML activators. The relations log k = log k0 + α × pKa were established with log k0 = 13 ± 2 and 20 ± 4 and α = -1.1 ± 0.2 and -1.8 ± 0.4 for kI and kII, respectively. Thus, the reactivity of TAML activators across four generations of catalysts is predictable through their pKa values.

NaClO-Generated Iron(IV)oxo and Iron(V)oxo TAMLs in Pure Water.

The unique properties of entirely aliphatic TAML activator [FeIII{(Me2CNCOCMe2NCO)2CMe2}OH2]- (3), namely the increased steric bulk of the ligand and the unmatched resistance to the acid-induced demetalation, enables the generation of high-valent iron derivatives in pure water at any pH. An iron(V)oxo species is readily produced with NaClO at pH values from 2 to 10.6 without any observable intermediate. This is the first reported example of iron(V)oxo formed in pure water. At pH 13, iron(V)oxo is not formed and NaClO oxidizes 3 to an iron(IV)oxo derivative.

Use of a Battery of Chemical and Ecotoxicological Methods for the Assessment of the Efficacy of Wastewater Treatment Processes to Remove Estrogenic Potency.

Endocrine Disrupting Compounds pose a substantial risk to the aquatic environment. Ethinylestradiol (EE2) and estrone (E1) have recently been included in a watch list of environmental pollutants under the European Water Framework Directive. Municipal wastewater treatment plants are major contributors to the estrogenic potency of surface waters. Much of the estrogenic potency of wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) effluents can be attributed to the discharge of steroid estrogens including estradiol (E2), EE2 and E1 due to incomplete removal of these substances at the treatment plant. An evaluation of the efficacy of wastewater treatment processes requires the quantitative determination of individual substances most often undertaken using chemical analysis methods. Most frequently used methods include Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GCMS/MS) or Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (LCMS/MS) using multiple reaction monitoring (MRM). Although very useful for regulatory purposes, targeted chemical analysis can only provide data on the compounds (and specific metabolites) monitored. Ecotoxicology methods additionally ensure that any by-products produced or unknown estrogenic compounds present are also assessed via measurement of their biological activity. A number of in vitro bioassays including the Yeast Estrogen Screen (YES) are available to measure the estrogenic activity of wastewater samples. Chemical analysis in conjunction with in vivo and in vitro bioassays provides a useful toolbox for assessment of the efficacy and suitability of wastewater treatment processes with respect to estrogenic endocrine disrupting compounds. This paper utilizes a battery of chemical and ecotoxicology tests to assess conventional, advanced and emerging wastewater treatment processes in laboratory and field studies.

Unifying Evaluation of the Technical Performances of Iron-Tetra-amido Macrocyclic Ligand Oxidation Catalysts.

The main features of iron-tetra-amido macrocyclic ligand complex (a sub-branch of TAML) catalysis of peroxide oxidations are rationalized by a two-step mechanism: Fe(III) + H2O2 → Active catalyst (Ac) (kI), and Ac + Substrate (S) → Fe(III) + Product (kII). TAML activators also undergo inactivation under catalytic conditions: Ac → Inactive catalyst (ki). The recently developed relationship, ln(S0/S∞) = (kII/ki)[Fe(III)]tot, where S0 and S∞ are [S] at time t = 0 and ∞, respectively, gives access to ki under any conditions. Analysis of the rate constants kI, kII, and ki at the environmentally significant pH of 7 for a broad series of TAML activators has revealed a 6 orders of magnitude reactivity differential in both kII and ki and 3 orders differential in kI. Linear free energy relationships linking kII with ki and kI reveal that the reactivity toward substrates is related to the instability of the active TAML intermediates and suggest that the reactivity in all three processes derives from a common electronic origin. The reactivities of TAML activators and the horseradish peroxidase enzyme are critically compared.

Removal of ecotoxicity of 17α-ethinylestradiol using TAML/peroxide water treatment.

17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2), a synthetic oestrogen in oral contraceptives, is one of many pharmaceuticals found in inland waterways worldwide as a result of human consumption and excretion into wastewater treatment systems. At low parts per trillion (ppt), EE2 induces feminisation of male fish, diminishing reproductive success and causing fish population collapse. Intended water quality standards for EE2 set a much needed global precedent. Ozone and activated carbon provide effective wastewater treatments, but their energy intensities and capital/operating costs are formidable barriers to adoption. Here we describe the technical and environmental performance of a fast- developing contender for mitigation of EE2 contamination of wastewater based upon small- molecule, full-functional peroxidase enzyme replicas called "TAML activators". From neutral to basic pH, TAML activators with H2O2 efficiently degrade EE2 in pure lab water, municipal effluents and EE2-spiked synthetic urine. TAML/H2O2 treatment curtails estrogenicity in vitro and substantially diminishes fish feminization in vivo. Our results provide a starting point for a future process in which tens of thousands of tonnes of wastewater could be treated per kilogram of catalyst. We suggest TAML/H2O2 is a worthy candidate for exploration as an environmentally compatible, versatile, method for removing EE2 and other pharmaceuticals from municipal wastewaters.

Reactivity and operational stability of N-Tailed TAMLs through kinetic studies of the catalyzed oxidation of orange†II by H2 O2 : synthesis and X-ray structure of an N-phenyl TAML.

Invited for the cover of this issue are Terrence J. Collins and co-workers at Carnegie Mellon University (USA) and the National Chemical Laboratory (India). The image depicts five generations of tetraamido macrocyclic ligand (TAML) activators, which are small molecule, full-functional mimics of oxidizing enzymes that arguably outperform the peroxidase enzymes they mimic. Read the full text of the article at 10.1002/chem.201406061.

Reactivity and operational stability of N-tailed TAMLs through kinetic studies of the catalyzed oxidation of orange†II by H2 O2 : synthesis and X-ray structure of an N-phenyl TAML.

The catalytic activity of the N-tailed ("biuret") TAML (tetraamido macrocyclic ligand) activators [Fe{4-XC6 H3 -1,2-(NCOCMe2 NCO)2 NR}Cl](2-) (3; N atoms in boldface are coordinated to the central iron atom; the same nomenclature is used in for compounds 1 and 2 below), [X, R=H, Me (a); NO2 , Me (b); H, Ph (c)] in the oxidative bleaching of Orange II dye by H2 O2 in aqueous solution is mechanistically compared with the previously investigated activator [Fe{4-XC6 H3 -1,2-(NCOCMe2 NCO)2 CMe2 }OH2 ](-) (1) and the more aggressive analogue [Fe(Me2 C{CON(1,2-C6 H3 -4-X)NCO}2 )OH2 ](-) (2). Catalysis by 3 of the reaction between H2 O2 and Orange II (S) occurs according to the rate law found generally for TAML activators (v=kI kII [Fe(III) ][S][H2 O2 ]/(kI [H2 O2 ]+kII [S]) and the rate constants kI and kII at pH 7 both decrease within the series 3 b>3 a>3 c. The pH dependency of kI and kII was investigated for 3 a. As with all TAML activators studied to-date, bell-shaped profiles were found for both rate constants. For kI , the maximal activity was found at pH 10.7 marking it as having similar reactivity to 1 a. For kII , the broad bell pH profile exhibits a maximum at pH about 10.5. The condition kI ≪kII holds across the entire pH range studied. Activator 3 b exhibits pronounced activity in neutral to slightly basic aqueous solutions making it worthy of consideration on a technical performance basis for water treatment. The rate constants ki for suicidal inactivation of the active forms of complexes 3 a-c were calculated using the general formula ln([S0 ]/[S∞ ])=(kII /ki )[Fe(III) ]; here [Fe(III) ], [S0 ], and [S∞ ] are the total catalyst concentration and substrate concentration at time zero and infinity, respectively. The synthesis and X-ray characterization of 3 c are also described.

Activation parameters as mechanistic probes in the TAML iron(V)-oxo oxidations of hydrocarbons.

The results of low-temperature investigations of the oxidations of 9,10-dihydroanthracene, cumene, ethylbenzene, [D10]ethylbenzene, cyclooctane, and cyclohexane by an iron(V)-oxo TAML complex (2; see Figure 1) are presented, including product identification and determination of the second-order rate constants k2 in the range 233-243 K and the activation parameters (ΔH(≠) and ΔS(≠)). Statistically normalized k2 values (log k2') correlate linearly with the C-H bond dissociation energies DC-H, but ΔH(≠) does not. The point for 9,10-dihydroanthracene for the ΔH(≠) vs. DC-H correlation lies markedly off a common straight line of best fit for all other hydrocarbons, suggesting it proceeds via an alternate mechanism than the rate-limiting C-H bond homolysis promoted by 2. Contribution from an electron-transfer pathway may be substantial for 9,10-dihydroanthracene. Low-temperature kinetic measurements with ethylbenzene and [D10]ethylbenzene reveal a kinetic isotope effect of 26, indicating tunneling. The tunnel effect is drastically reduced at 0 °C and above, although it is an important feature of the reactivity of TAML activators at lower temperatures. The diiron(IV) µ-oxo dimer that is often a common component of the reaction medium involving 2 also oxidizes 9,10-dihydroanthracene, although its reactivity is three orders of magnitude lower than that of 2.