Oxygen rebound mechanism

In biochemistry, the oxygen rebound mechanism is the pathway for hydroxylation of organic compounds by iron-containing oxygenases.

Many enzymes effect the hydroxylation of hydrocarbons as a means for biosynthesis, detoxification, gene regulation, and other functions.

These enzymes often utilize Fe-O centers that convert C-H bonds into C-OH groups.

The oxygen rebound mechanism starts with abstraction of H from the hydrocarbon, giving an organic radical and an iron hydroxide.

In the rebound step, the organic radical attacks the Fe-OH center to give an alcohol group, which is bound to Fe as a ligand.

Steps in an oxygen rebound mechanism: H-atom abstraction, oxygen rebound, alcohol decomplexation. The formal charge on the porphyrin changes from 1- to the more usual 2-.