Non-heme iron halogenases, such as SyrB2 and CytC3, catalyze the regioselective chlorination and bromination of aliphatic C-H bonds. Reported here is the hydrocarbon chlorination promoted by manganese and iron complexes with methylated derivatives of bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine (bispicen). The reactions between these coordination compounds and meta-chloroperbenzoic acid generate oxidants capable of oxidizing weak C-H bonds to C-CI bonds. This chemistry is regioselective, with a strong preference for activating C-H bonds on secondary carbons over weaker C-H bonds on tertiary carbons. The reactivity is consistent with the methyl groups on the ligands preventing more sterically encumbered substrates from accessing the reactive portions of a [M-IV(L(Me)n)(O)Cl-2] oxidant. The iron compounds promote more hydrocarbon chlorination than their manganese analogs. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.