Peroxidase activity of new mixed‐valence cobalt complexes with ligands derived from pyridoxal

New mixed‐valence cobalt complexes with ligands derived from pyridoxal were synthesized and characterized, and their application as mimetics of the peroxidase enzyme was investigated. Single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction was used to analyze all complex structures in the solid state and their electrochemical behavior was investigated. A reactivity pattern was observed in the complex synthesis regarding the cobalt compounds from which analogous zwitterionic derivatives were obtained. The importance of these compounds lies in understanding their behavior in an oxidizing environment and evaluating whether they can activate hydrogen peroxide to oxidize phenolic compounds. In nature, enzymes called peroxidases, which efficiently oxidize phenolic compounds, trigger many reactions involving the activation of hydrogen peroxide to oxidize organic substrates. However, these enzymes present several disadvantages, including denaturation and elevated costs. Therefore, these limitations can be overcome by expanding research into the study of synthetic catalysts for the oxidation of phenolic compounds using hydrogen peroxide, which is a highly relevant field of bioinorganic chemistry.