Nature has evolved a number of nonheme iron oxygenases capable of the stereoselective oxidation of CÀH and CC bonds. [1,2] Still far from being understood are the factors that control the ability of iron centers to catalyze a range of reactions such as alkane hydroxylation, olefin epoxidation, and olefin cis-dihydroxylation. In our effort to develop bioinspired nonheme iron catalysts, we have discovered a family of iron complexes with tetradentate pyridine/amine ligands that, in combination with H 2 O 2 , are capable of carrying out the above transformations with high stereoselectivity. [3±7] Enantioselectivity has also been obtained with the chiral ligand N,N'-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N,N'-dimethyl-trans-1,2-di-aminocyclohexane (bpmcn). [8] A priori, tetradentate ligands with this type of architecture can adopt three different topologies (Scheme 1). [9±11] While Schiff×s base ligands (e.g. salen) often afford complexes with the trans or planar Scheme 1. Three different topologies that can be adopted by tetradentate ligands such as N,topology, ligands such as bpmcn in which the imine functionalities have been reduced give rise to complexes with cis-a and/or cis-b topologies. We have undertaken a series of systematic studies to uncover the factors that control the catalytic reactivity of the nonheme iron center in this family of complexes. [5±7] Herein we report the unexpectedly distinct oxidation behavior of two [Fe II (bpmcn)] catalysts, whose structures differ only by their ligand topologies.[Fe II (bpmcn)(OTf) 2 ] (1, OTf trifluoromethanesulfonate) complexes in both cis-a and cis-b ligand topologies can be synthesized by independent routes, and the structures of a-1 and the related b-[Fe II (5-Me 2 -bpmcn)(OTf) 2 ] have recently been established by crystallography. [8, 12] The NMR spectra of the two complexes strongly suggest that they each retain their respective ligand topologies in solution (Figure 1). Complex Figure 1. 1 H NMR spectra of a-[Fe II (bpmcn)(CD 3 CN) 2 ] 2 (a) and b-[Fe II (bpmcn)(CD 3 CN) 2 ] 2 (b) in CD 3 CN solution at ambient temperature.a-1 exhibits 12 paramagnetically shifted signals, as expected for a C 2 -symmetric high-spin Fe II complex, while the b isomer shows 24 resonances. These isomers do not interconvert even after heating solutions of either isomer in acetonitrile at 50 8C for one day. The high barrier to interconversion arises from the fact that the N-methyl groups of the ligand have distinct [6] Immunogold-Silver Staining: Principles, Methods and Applications (Ed.: M. A. ] E 1 V versus NHE(Au) and E 1/2 À 0.4 V versus NHE(NH 2 OH); NHE normal hydrogen electrode. A. J. Bard, Encyclopedia of