The ability of mononuclear nonheme iron centers to transport O2 is studied by DFT.
Reversible binding of O2 at the diiron active site of hemerythrin is revisited.
Kinetic lability and facile FeO bond cleavage were observed for the oxy complexes.
Proton affinities of the oxy complexes show that protonation is highly unlikely.
Mononuclear nonheme Fe-oxy complexes are strongly disfavored as O2 transporters.