Selective formation of a stable (mu)-peroxo ferric heme-Cu II complex from the corresponding (mu)-oxo Fe III –Cu II species with hydrogen peroxide

An oxo-bridged ferric heme-copper(II) complex, obtained by thermal transformation of the corresponding peroxobridged complex, was reacted with an equimolar amount of H2O2 to regenerate the (mu)-peroxo complex by a ligand exchange from oxo to peroxo, without the formation of a ferryl-oxo species or heme degradation as are observed in general ferric heme-H2O2 reactions.