A tetranuclear nickel(II) complex assembled from an asymmetric compartmental ligand and bearing an intramolecular [H3O2]-bridge.

The asymmetric di-aminic compartmental ligand HL5 forms a tetranuclear nickel(II) complex in which the core is assembled from two confacial bioctahedra [Ni...Ni, approximately 2.90 A]; the open faces of the bioctahedra are joined at the O atoms of two mu-cresolato bridges [Ni...Ni, 3.72 A], and the shared faces of the bioctahedra are linked by a tetradentate (mu 4, eta 2)-perchlorate anion and by an unusual tetradentate (mu 4, eta 2)-[H3O2]-bridge.

Intramolecular Ligand Hydroxylation: Mechanistic Studies on the Reaction of a Copper(I) Schiff Base Complex with Dioxygen.

The dinuclear copper(I) complex of 1,3-bis[N-(2-pyridylethyl)formimidoyl]benzene, [Cu(2)(H-BPB-H)(CH(3)CN)(2)](BF(4))(2), as well as the 5-nitro derivative, [Cu(2)(NO(2)-BPB-H)(CH(3)CN)(2)](BF(4))(2), react with dioxygen to form phenolate-bridged complexes as products. In a detailed kinetic study activation parameters of DeltaH() = 47 +/- 9 kJ/mol, DeltaS() = -53 +/- 11 J/(mol K), and DeltaV() = -9.5 +/- 0.5 cm(3)/mol for the reaction of [Cu(2)(H-BPB-H)(CH(3)CN)(2)](BF(4))(2) with dioxygen were obtained which account, together with further kinetic findings, for the occurrence of an intermediate peroxo complex that cannot be observed spectroscopically. The crystal structures of the products of the reaction were determined. Crystal data: complex [Cu(2)(H-BPB-O)-OH(H(2)O)](BF(4))(2), formula C(22)H(24)B(2)Cu(2)F(8)N(4)O(3), monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, Z = 4, a = 10.122(2) Å, b = 28.711(6) Å, c = 9.283(2) Å, alpha = 90 degrees, beta = 100.78(3) degrees, and gamma = 90 degrees; complex [Cu(2)(NO(2)-BPB-O)-OH(H(2)O)(3)](BF(4))(2), formula C(22)H(27)B(2)Cu(2)F(8)N(5)O(7), triclinic space group, P&onemacr;, Z = 2, a = 10.144(2) Å, b = 10.7612(2) Å, and c = 16.000(4) Å.

Migratory Transmetalation in Diphenoxo-Bridged Cu(II)M(II) Complexes of a Dinucleating Macrocycle with N(amine)(2)O(2) and N(imine)(2)O(2) Metal-Binding Sites.

A phenol-based heterodinucleating macrocycle (H(2)L), comprised of two 2-((methylamino)methyl)-6-(iminomethyl)-4-bromophenolate entities bridged by the -(CH(2))(2)- groups between amine nitrogens and by the -(CH(2))(3)- groups between imine nitrogens, displays dissimilar N(amine)(2)O(2) and N(imine)(2)O(2) metal-binding sites sharing the phenolic oxygens and is prepared as a Cu(II)Pb(II) complex [CuPb(L)](ClO(4))(2). An analogous complex [CuPb(L)(BzO)(dmf)]ClO(4) crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr;, (No. 2), with a = 13.998(2) Å, b = 15.568(2) Å, c = 8.699(2) Å, alpha = 95.32(1) degrees, beta = 92.23(1) degrees, gamma = 82.81(1) degrees, V = 1871.9(5) Å(3), and Z = 2. Refinements based on 3788 reflections with I > 3.00sigma(I) converged with R = 0.058 and R(w) = 0.069. The Cu(II) resides at the N(imine)(2)O(2) site and assumes a planar geometry. The Pb(II) resides at the N(amine)(2)O(2) site and assumes a seven-coordinate geometry by further addition of a dmf molecule and a bidentate benzoate group. The Cu--Pb separation, doubly bridged by the phenolic oxygens, is 3.466(2) Å. The reaction of [CuPb(L)](ClO(4))(2) with metal(II) sulfate salts provides Cu(II)M(II) complexes [CuM(L)](ClO(4))(2).nH(2)O (M = Mn (n = 2), Co (n = 2), Ni (n = 0), Cu (n = 0), Zn (n = 1)). The CuZn complex, [CuZn(L)(AcO)]ClO(4), crystallizes in the triclinic space group P&onemacr;, (No. 2), with a = 12.290(3) Å, b = 13.402(4) Å, c = 11.501(2) Å, alpha = 95.10(2) degrees, beta = 116.68(2) degrees, gamma = 112.00(2) degrees, V = 1491.8(9) Å(3), and Z = 2. Refinements based on 2497 reflections with I > 3.00sigma(I) converge with R = 0.046 and R(w) = 0.034. The Cu(II) is bound at the N(amine)(2)O(2) site and the Zn(II) is bound at the N(imine)(2)O(2) site with a Cu--Zn separation of 2.942(2) Å. Further, the acetate group bridges the two metal ions providing a five-coordinate geometry about both metal ions. The CuM complexes except for the CuZn complex show significant antiferromagnetic spin-exchange within each dinuclear unit. The CuNi complex shows the ESR spectrum of the spin-doublet ground state which demonstrates the delocalization of the unpaired electron over the CuNi core.

Tetracopper Assembly Complexes Comprised of One Dimetallic Core and Two Monometallic Auxiliaries: Intramolecular Electron-Transfer Relevant to Multicopper Oxidases.

Two tetracopper assembly complexes, comprised of one dimetallic di(3-iminomethylsalicylato)dicopper(II) core and two monometallic copper(II) auxiliaries attached to the imino nitrogens of the dinuclear core through an alkane chain, have been prepared. [Cu(4)(L(1))](PF(6))(4).2CH(3)CN.3H(2)O (1) has di(2-pyridylmethyl)aminecopper(II) as the monometallic auxiliary, and [Cu(4)(L(2))](ClO(4))(4).CH(3)OH (2) has 1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecanecopper(II) as the auxiliary. Assembly 1 in acetonitrile shows a two-electron reduction at -0.08 V (vs SCE) followed by a one-electron reduction at -0.42 V. Together with EPR studies for electrolyzed solutions, it is shown that the two monometallic auxiliaries are reduced at -0.08 V, followed by an intramolecular electron transfer from one of the reduced auxiliaries to the dimetallic core and by the second reduction at the resulting monometallic Cu(II) center at -0.42 V: {Cu(II)-Cu(2)(II,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(I)-Cu(2)(II,II)-Cu(I)} --> {Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(I)}. The CV of 2 in DMSO shows two couples at -0.68 and -0.99 V attributable to the stepwise reductions: {Cu(II)-Cu(2)(II,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(II)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(II)}/{Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(II)}. Assembly 1 is reduced with ascorbic acid to the {Cu(I)-Cu(2)(I,II)-Cu(I)} species, whereas 2 is not reduced with ascorbic acid. The relevance of the intramolecular electron transfer observed for 1 to multicopper oxidases is discussed.

Barium Templating Schiff-Base Lateral Macrobicycles.

Schiff-base lateral macrobicycles containing two different binding units, a rigid and unsaturated N(2)X set (X: N, O) and a flexible and cyclic N(2)O(n)() set, linked by two aromatic bridges, have been prepared by reaction of the appropriate bibracchial diamines N,N'-bis(aminobenzyl)-diaza-crown and diformyl precursors in the presence of Ba(II) as templating agent. The expected cryptands do not form in the absence of the cation; the presence of this metal ion is necessary to orient the diamine precursor in a syn conformation. Comparison of the X-ray crystal structures of the barium complex of the bibracchial diamine N,N'-bis(2-aminobenzyl)-1,10-diaza-15-crown-5 and the barium complex of the cryptand derived from it incorporating a pyridine unit indicates that the encapsulation of the metal ion is clearly more effective in the case of the cryptand. The coordination of Ba(II) ion to the pyridine nitrogen atom promotes the displacement of the metal into the cavity of the cryptand as well as important changes in the conformation of the crown unit, although the fold of the pendant arms remains practically unchanged. The cryptands reported constitute the first example of a novel family of macrobicycles.