The enzymatic ring cleavage of catechol derivatives is catalyzed by two groups of dioxygenases: extradiol-and intradiol-cleaving dioxygenases. Although having different oxidation state of their nonheme iron sites and different ligand coordinations, both groups of enzymes involve a common peroxy intermediate in their catalytic cycles. The factors that lead to either extradiol cleavage resulting in 2-hydroxymuconaldehyde or intradiol cleavage resulting in muconic acid are not fully understood, Well-characterized model compounds that mimic the functionality of these enzymes offer a basis for direct comparison to theoretical results. In this study the mechanism of a biomimetic iron complex is investigated with density functional theory (DFT). This complex catalyzes the ring opening of catecholate with exclusive formation of the intradiol cleaved product. Several spin states are possible for the transition metal system, with the quartet state found to be of main importance during the reaction course. The mechanism investigated provides an explanation for the observed selectivity of the complex. First, a bridging peroxide is formed, which decomposes to an alkoxy radical by O-O homolysis. In contrast to the subsequent barrier-free intradiol C-C bond cleavage, the extradiol pathway proceeds via the formation of an epoxide, which requires an additional activation barrier.