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Guest Editors Linda H. Doerrer and Rasika Dias introduce the spotlight collection: “Fluorinated ligands and their effects on physical properties and chemical reactivity”. 

There is considerable interest in MnOH x moieties, particularly in the stepwise changes in those O–H bonds in tandem with Mn oxidation state changes. The reactivity of aquo-derived ligands, {MOH x }, is also heavily influenced by the electronic character of the other ligands. Despite the prevalence of oxygen coordination in biological systems, preparation of mononuclear Mn complexes of this type with all O-donors is rare. Herein, we report several Mn complexes with perfluoropinacolate (pin F ) 2− including the first example of a crystallographically characterized mononuclear {Mn( iii )OH} with all O-donors, K 2 [Mn(OH)(pin F ) 2 ], 3. Complex 3 is prepared via deprotonation of K[Mn(OH 2 )(pin F ) 2 ], 1, the p K a of which is estimated to be 18.3 ± 0.3. Cyclic voltammetry reveals quasi-reversible redox behavior for both 1 and 3 with an unusually large Δ E p , assigned to the Mn( iii / ii ) couple. Using the Bordwell method, the bond dissociation free energy (BDFE) of the O–H bond in {Mn( ii )–OH 2 } is estimated to be 67–70 kcal mol −1 . Complex 3 abstracts H-atoms from 1,2-diphenylhydrazine, 2,4,6-TTBP, and TEMPOH, the latter of which supports a PCET mechanism. Under basic conditions in air, the synthesis of 1 results in K 2 [Mn(OAc)(pin F ) 2 ], 2, proposed to result from the oxidation of Et 2 O to EtOAc by a reactive Mn species, followed by ester hydrolysis. Complex 3 alone does not react with Et 2 O, but addition of O 2 at low temperature effects the formation of a new chromophore proposed to be a Mn( iv ) species. The related complexes K(18C6)[Mn( iii )(pin F ) 2 ], 4, and (Me 4 N) 2 [Mn( ii )(pin F ) 2 ], 5, have also been prepared and their properties discussed in relation to complexes 1–3. 

Investigation of Cu–O 2 oxidation reactivity is important in biological and anthropogenic chemistry. Zeolites are one of the most promising Cu/O based oxidation catalysts for development of industrial-scale CH 4 to CH 3 OH conversion. Their oxidation mechanisms are not well understood, however, highlighting the importance of the investigation of molecular Cu( i )–O 2 reactivity with O-donor complexes. Herein, we give an overview of the synthesis, structural properties, and O 2 reactivity of three different series of O-donor fluorinated Cu( i ) alkoxides: K[Cu(OR) 2 ], [(Ph 3 P)Cu(μ-OR) 2 Cu(PPh 3 )], and K[(R 3 P)Cu(pin F )], in which OR = fluorinated monodentate alkoxide ligands and pin F = perfluoropinacolate. This breadth allowed for the exploration of the influence of the denticity of the ligand, coordination number, the presence of phosphine, and K⋯F/O interactions on their O 2 reactivity. K⋯F/O interactions were required to activate O 2 in the monodentate-ligand-only family, whereas these connections did not affect O 2 activation in the bidentate complexes, potentially due to the presence of phosphine. Both families formed trisanionic, trinuclear cores of the form {Cu 3 (μ 3 -O) 2 } 3− . Intramolecular and intermolecular substrate oxidation were also explored and found to be influenced by the fluorinated ligand. Namely, {Cu 3 (μ 3 -O) 2 } 3− from K[Cu(OR) 2 ] could perform both monooxygenase reactivity and oxidase catalysis, whereas those from K[(R 3 P)Cu(pin F )] could only perform oxidase catalysis.