The reaction of cytochrome P450
cam with aryldiazenes(ArN=NH) yields
![](/images/gifchars/sigma.gif)
-bonded iron-aryl (Fe-aryl) complexes. Oxidation of the complexes causes regioselectivemigration of the aryl group from the ironto the porphyrin nitrogens. The influence of high pressure on theformation and rearrangement of the Fe-aryl complexes is reported here. The natural logarithm of the rateof formation of the Fe-phenyl complexdecreases linearly with pressure with a volume of activation of 38.2 mLmol
-1. The Fe-phenyl,Fe-(2-naphthyl), and Fe-(
p-biphenyl) complexes are stable atatmospheric pressure but decompose in a pressure-dependent manner at pressures above 1500 (Fe-phenyl) or 2500 bar(Fe-(2-naphthyl) or Fe-(
p-biphenyl)).This pressure-induced decomposition results in formation of the
N-arylprotoporphyrin IX adducts. The
N-arylporphyrin regioisomer patterns obtained by pressure-induced migrationof the aryl groups(N
B:N
A:N
C:N
D,Ph,10:14:33:43; 2-naphthyl, 12:13:37:38;
p-biphenyl,15:15:33:37) differ from those obtained by oxidation oftheP450
cam Fe-aryl complexes at atmospheric pressure (Ph,00:05:25:70; 2-naphthyl, 00:00:100:00;
p-biphenyl,00:14:40:46). Preincubation of P450
cam at elevatedpressure followed by decompression, Fe-phenyl complexformation, and oxidative shift yields the same N-phenyl regioisomerratio as the pressure-induced shift. Thethree principal findings of this study are that (a) theiron-to-nitrogen migration of the aryl group can bepromotedby pressure, (b) differential distortion of the P450
camactive site by high pressure causes small displacementsof the I-helix and residues associated with the substrate accesschannel, and (c) pressure causes a subtle structuralchange in the P450
cam active site that persists atatmospheric pressure.