Bis(mu-oxo)dicopper in Cu-ZSM-5 and its role in the decomposition of NO: a combined in situ XAFS,UV-vis-near-IR,and kinetic study

In situ XAFS combined with UV-vis-near-IR spectroscopy are used to identify the active site in copper-loaded ZSM-5 responsible for the catalytic decomposition of NO. Cu-ZSM-5 was probed with in situ XAFS (i) after O(2) activation and (ii) while catalyzing the direct decomposition of NO into N(2) and O(2). A careful R-space fitting of the Cu K-edge EXAFS data is presented, including the use of different k-weightings and the analysis of the individual coordination shells. For the O(2)-activated overexchanged Cu-ZSM-5 sample a Cu.Cu contribution at 2.87 A with a coordination number of 1 is found. The corresponding UV-vis-near-IR spectrum is characterized by an intense absorption band at 22 700 cm(-1) and a relatively weaker band at 30 000 cm(-1), while no corresponding EPR signal is detected. Comparison of these data with the large databank of well-characterized copper centers in enzymes and synthetic model complexes leads to the identification of the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper core, i.e. [Cu(2)(mu-O)(2)](2+). After dehydration in He, Cu-ZSM-5 shows stable NO decomposition activity and the in situ XAFS data indicate the formation of a large fraction of the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper core during reaction. When the Cu/Al ratio of Cu-ZSM-5 exceeds 0.2, both the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper core is formed and the NO decomposition activity increases sharply. On the basis of the in situ measurements, a reaction cycle is proposed in which the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper core forms the product O(2) on a single active site and realizes the continuous O(2) release and concomitant self-reduction.     

Conversion of methane to methanol at the mononuclear and dinuclear copper sites of particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO): a DFT and QM/MM study

Methane hydroxylation at the mononuclear and dinuclear copper sites of pMMO is discussed using quantum mechanical and QM/MM calculations. Possible mechanisms are proposed with respect to the formation of reactive copper-oxo and how they activate methane. Dioxygen is incorporated into the Cu(I) species to give a Cu(II)-superoxo species, followed by an H-atom transfer from a tyrosine residue near the monocopper active site. A resultant Cu(II)-hydroperoxo species is next transformed into a Cu(III)-oxo species and a water molecule by the abstraction of an H-atom from another tyrosine residue. This process is accessible in energy under physiological conditions. Dioxygen is also incorporated into the dicopper site to form a (mu-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxo)dicopper species, which is then transformed into a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper species. The formation of this species is more favorable in energy than that of the monocopper-oxo species. The reactivity of the Cu(III)-oxo species is sufficient for the conversion of methane to methanol if it is formed in the protein environment. Since the sigma orbital localized in the Cu-O bond region is singly occupied in the triplet state, this orbital plays a role in the homolytic cleavage of a C-H bond of methane. The reactivity of the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper species is also sufficient for the conversion of methane to methanol. The mixed-valent bis(mu-oxo)Cu(II)Cu(III) species is reactive to methane because the amplitude of the sigma singly occupied MO localized on the bridging oxo moieties plays an essential role in C-H activation.     

Ligand effect on reversible conversion between copper(I) and bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex with a sterically hindered tetradentate tripodal ligand and monooxygenase activity of bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex

A new sterically hindered tetradentate tripodal ligand (Me2-etpy) and its labeled analogue having deuterated methylene groups (d4-Me2-etpy) were synthesized, where Me2-etpy is bis(6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl)(2-pyridylethyl)amine. Copper(I) complexes [Cu(Me2-etpy or d4-Me2-etpy)]+ (1 and 1-d4, respectively) reacted with dioxygen at -80 degrees C in acetone to give bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complexes [Cu2(O)2(Me2-etpy or d4-Me2-etpy)2](2+) (1-oxo and 1-d4-oxo, respectively), the latter of which was crystallographically characterized. Unlike a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex with a closely related Me2-tpa ligand having a 2-pyridylmethyl pendant, 1-oxo possessing a 2-pyridylethyl pendant is not fully formed even under 1 atm of O2 at -80 degrees C and is very reactive toward the oxidation of the supporting ligand. Thermal decomposition of 1-oxo gave an N-dealkylated ligand in yield approximately 80% based on a dimer and a corresponding aldehyde. The deuterated ligand d4-Me2-etpy greatly stabilizes the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex 1-d4-oxo, indicating that the rate determining step of the N-dealkylation is the C-H bond cleavage from the methylene group. The reversible conversion between 1-d4 and 1-d4-oxo in acetone is dependent on the temperature, and the thermodynamic parameters (DeltaH and DeltaS) of the equilibrium were determined to be -53 +/- 2 kJ mol(-1) and -187 +/- 10 J mol(-1) K(-1), respectively. The effect of the 2-pyridylethyl pendant in comparison with the 2-pyridylmethyl and 6-methyl-2-pyridylmethyl pendants on the physicochemical properties of the copper(I) and bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) species is discussed.     

Copper-dioxygen adducts and the side-on peroxo dicopper(II)/bis(mu-oxo) dicopper(III) equilibrium: Significant ligand electronic effects

The variation of ligand para substituents on pyridyl donor groups of tridentate amine copper(I) complexes was carried out in order to probe electronic effects on the equilibrium between mu-eta2:eta2-(side-on)-peroxo [Cu(II)2(O2(2-))]2+ and bis(mu-oxo) [Cu(III)2(O(2-))2] species formed upon reaction with O2. [Cu(I)(R-PYAN)(MeCN)n]B(C6F5)4 (R-PYAN = N-[2-(4-R-pyridin-2-yl)-ethyl]-N,N',N'-trimethyl-propane-1,3-diamine, R = NMe2, OMe, H, and Cl) (1R) vary over a narrow range in their Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox potentials (E(1/2) vs Fe(cp)2(+/0) = -0.40 V for 1(NMe2), -0.38 V for 1(OMe), -0.33 V for 1H, and -0.32 V for 1Cl) and in C-O stretching frequencies of their carbonyl adducts, 1R-CO: nu(C-O) = 2080, 2086, 2088, and 2090 cm(-1) for R = NMe2, OMe, H, and Cl, respectively. However, within this range of electronic properties for 1R, dioxygen reactivity is significantly affected. The reaction of 1Cl or 1H with O2 at -78 degrees C in CH2Cl2 gives UV-vis and resonance Raman spectra indicative of a mu-eta2:eta2-(side-on)-peroxo dicopper(II) adduct (2R). Compound 1(OMe) reacts with O2, yielding equilibrium mixtures of side-on peroxo (2(OMe)) and bis(mu-oxo) (3(OMe)) species. Oxygenation of 1(NMe2) leads to the sole generation of the bis(mu-oxo) dicopper(III) complex (3(NMe2)). A solvent effect was also observed; in acetone or THF, increased ratios of bis(mu-oxo) relative to side-on peroxo complex are observed. Thus, the equilibrium between a dicopper side-on peroxo and bis(mu-oxo) species can be tuned by ligand design-specifically, more electron donating ligands favor the formation of the latter isomer, and the peroxo/bis(mu-oxo) equilibrium can be shifted from one extreme to the other within the same ligand system. Observations concerning the reactivity of the dioxygen adducts 2H and 3(NMe2) toward external substrates are also presented.     

Fine-tuning of copper(I)-dioxygen reactivity by 2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine bidentate ligands

Copper(I)-dioxygen reactivity has been examined using a series of 2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine bidentate ligands (R1)Py1(R2,R3). The bidentate ligand with the methyl substituent on the pyridine nucleus (Me)Py1(Et,Bz) (N-benzyl-N-ethyl-2-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)ethylamine) predominantly provided a (mu-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxo)dicopper(II) complex, while the bidentate ligand without the 6-methyl group (H)Py1(Et,Bz) (N-benzyl-N-ethyl-2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine) afforded a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex under the same experimental conditions. Both Cu(2)O(2) complexes gradually decompose, leading to oxidative N-dealkylation reaction of the benzyl group. Detailed kinetic analysis has revealed that the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex is the common reactive intermediate in both cases and that O[bond]O bond homolysis of the peroxo complex is the rate-determining step in the former case with (Me)Py1(Et,Bz). On the other hand, the copper(I) complex supported by the bidentate ligand with the smallest N-alkyl group ((H)Py1(Me,Me), N,N-dimethyl-2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine) reacts with molecular oxygen in a 3:1 ratio in acetone at a low temperature to give a mixed-valence trinuclear copper(II, II, III) complex with two mu(3)-oxo bridges, the UV-vis spectrum of which is very close to that of an active oxygen intermediate of lacase. Detailed spectroscopic analysis on the oxygenation reaction at different concentrations has indicated that a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex is the precursor for the formation of trinuclear copper complex. In the reaction with 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol (DBP), the trinuclear copper(II, II, III) complex acts as a two-electron oxidant to produce an equimolar amount of the C[bond]C coupling dimer of DBP (3,5,3',5'-tetra-tert-butyl-biphenyl-2,2'-diol) and a bis(mu-hydroxo)dicopper(II) complex. Kinetic analysis has shown that the reaction consists of two distinct steps, where the first step involves a binding of DBP to the trinuclear complex to give a certain intermediate that further reacts with the second molecule of DBP to give another intermediate, from which the final products are released. Steric and/or electronic effects of the 6-methyl group and the N-alkyl substituents of the bidentate ligands on the copper(I)-dioxygen reactivity have been discussed.     

Syntheses, characterization, and dioxygen reactivities of Cu(I) complexes with cis,cis-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane derivatives: a Cu(III)2O2 intermediate exhibiting higher C-H activation

Six Cu(I) complexes with cis,cis-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane derivatives (R3CY, R = Et, iBu, and Bn), [Cu(MeCN)(Et3CY)]SbF6 (1), [Cu(MeCN)(iBu3CY)]SbF6 (2), [Cu(MeCN)(Bn3CY)]SbF6 (3), [Cu(CO)(Et3CY)]SbF6 (4), [Cu(CO)(iBu3CY)]SbF6 (5), and [Cu(CO)(Bn3CY)]SbF6 (6), were prepared to probe the ability of copper complexes to effectively catalyze oxygenation reactions. The complexes were characterized by elemental analysis, electrochemical and X-ray structure analyses, electronic absorption spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, 1H NMR spectroscopy, and ESI mass spectrometry. The crystal structures of 1-3 and 6 and the CO stretching vibrations (nuCO) of 4-6 demonstrate that the ability of R3CY to donate electron density to the Cu(I) atom is stronger than that of the previously reported ligands, 1,4,7-triazacyclononane (R3TACN) and 1,4,7-triazacyclodecane (R3TACD). Reactions of complexes 1-3 with dioxygen in THF or CH2Cl2 at -105 to -80 degrees C yield bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complexes 7-9 as intermediates as confirmed by electronic absorption spectroscopy and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The Cu-O stretching vibrations, nu(Cu-O) for 7 (16O2: 553, 581 cm-1and 18O2: 547 cm-1) and 8 (16O2: 571 cm-1 and 18O2: 544 cm-1), are observed in a lower energy region than previously reported for bis(micro-oxo) complexes. The decomposition rates of complexes 7-9 in THF at -90 degrees C are 2.78 x 10-4 for 7, 8.04 x 10-4 for 8, and 3.80 x 10-4 s-1 for 9. The decomposition rates of 7 and 8 in CH2Cl2 were 5.62 x 10-4 and 1.62 x 10-3 s-1, respectively, and the thermal stabilities of 7-9 in CH2Cl2 are lower than the values measured for the complexes in THF. The decomposition reactions obeyed first-order kinetics, and the H/D isotope experiments for 8 and 9 indicate that the N-dealkylation reaction is the rate-determining step in the decomposition processes. On the other hand, the decomposition reaction of 7 in THF results in the oxidation of THF (acting as an exogenous substrate) to give 2-hydroxy tetrahydrofuran and gamma-butyrolactone as oxidation products. Detailed investigation of the N-dealkylation reaction for 8 by kinetic experiments using N-H/D at -90 degrees C showed a kinetic isotope effect of 1.25, indicating that a weak electrostatic interaction between the N-H hydrogen and mu-oxo oxygen contributes to the major effect on the rate-determining step of N-dealkylation. X-ray crystal structures of the bis(micro-hydroxo)dicopper(II) complexes, [Cu2(OH)2(Et3CY)2](CF3SO3)2 (10), [Cu2(OH)2(iBu3CY)2](CF3SO3)2 (11), and [Cu2(OH)2(Bn3CY)2](ClO4)2 (12), which have independently been prepared as the final products of bis(micro-oxo)dicopper(III) intermediates, suggest that an effective interaction between N-H and mu-oxo in the Cu(III)2(micro-O)2 core may enhance the oxidation ability of the metal-oxo species.     

Synthesis and reactivity of copper(I) complexes with an ethylene-bridged bis(imidazolin-2-imine) ligand

A series of copper(I) complexes with a sterically hindered, bidentate ligand, BL iPr, derived from an N-heterocyclic carbene precursor have been isolated, characterized and their reactivity studied. The ethylene-bridged bis(imidazolin-2-imine) ligand (BL iPr) provides strongly donating N-donor atoms for the stabilization of a copper(I) metal center, priming it for reactivity. The complexes [(BL iPr)Cu(XyNC)]PF6 (4) and [(BL iPr)CuCl] (5) were characterized by X-ray crystallography and exhibit trigonal coordination at the copper centers. The reactivity of [(BL iPr)Cu]SbF6 toward dioxygen was studied at low temperature, indicating formation of a thermally sensitive intermediate with intense UV/Vis features and an isotope-sensitive vibration at 625 cm(-1) (599 cm(-1) with 18 O2). The intermediate is assigned as containing the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) core, [2](PF6)2, and the related, stable hydroxo form was crystallized as [{(BL iPr)Cu}2(mu-OH)2](PF6)2, [3](PF6)2. The reactivity of 5 as a catalyst for the ATR polymerization of styrene was assessed in terms of reaction kinetics and polymer properties, with low PDI values achieved for polymers with molecular weights up to 30 000 g mol(-1).     

Ligand macrocycle structural effects on copper-dioxygen reactivity

With the goal of understanding how the nature of the tridentate macrocyclic supporting ligand influences the relative stability of isomeric mu-eta 2:eta 2-peroxo- and bis(mu-oxo)dicopper complexes, a comparative study was undertaken of the O2 reactivity of Cu(I) compounds supported by the 10- and 12-membered macrocycles, 1,4,7-R3-1,4,7-triazacyclodecane (R3TACD; R = Me, Bn, iPr) and 1,5,9-triisopropyl-1,5,9-triazacyclododecane (iPr3TACDD). While the 3-coordinate complex [(iPr3TACDD)Cu]SbF6 was unreactive with O2, oxygenation of [(R3TACD)Cu(CH3CN)]X (R = Me or Bn; X = ClO4- or SbF6-) at -80 degrees C yielded bis(mu-oxo) species [(R3TACD)2Cu2(mu O)2]X2 as revealed by UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy. Interestingly, unlike the previously reported system supported by 1,4,7-triisopropyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane (iPr3TACN), which yielded interconverting mixtures of peroxo and bis(mu-oxo) compounds (Cahoy, J.; Holland, P. L.; Tolman, W. B. Inorg. Chem. 1999, 38, 2161), low-temperature oxygenation of [(iPr3TACD)Cu(CH3CN)]SbF6 in a variety of solvents cleanly yielded a mu-eta 2:eta 2-peroxo product, with no trace of the bis(mu-oxo) isomer. The peroxo complex was characterized by UV-vis and resonance Raman spectroscopy, as well as an X-ray crystal structure (albeit of marginal quality due to disorder problems). Intramolecular attack at the alpha C-H bonds of the substituents was indicated as the primary decomposition pathway of the oxygenated compounds through examination of the decay kinetics and the reaction products, which included bis(mu-hydroxo)- and mu-carbonato-dicopper complexes that were characterized by X-ray diffraction. A rationale for the varying results of the oxygenation reactions was provided by analysis of (a) the X-ray crystal structures and electrochemical behavior of the Cu(I) precursors and (b) the results of theoretical calculations of the complete oxygenated complexes, including all ligand atoms, using combined quantum chemical/molecular mechanics (integrated molecular orbital molecular mechanics, IMOMM) methods. The size of the ligand substituents was shown to be a key factor in controlling the relative stabilities of the peroxo and bis(mu-oxo) forms, and the nature of this influence was shown by both theory and experiment to depend on the ligand macrocycle ring size.     

Copper dioxygen adducts: formation of bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) versus (mu-1,2)Peroxodicopper(II) complexes with small changes in one pyridyl-ligand substituent

The preference for the formation of a particular Cu 2O 2 isomer coming from (ligand)-Cu (I)/O 2 reactivity can be regulated with the steric demands of a TMPA (tris(2-pyridylmethyl)amine) derived ligand possessing 6-pyridyl substituents on one of the three donor groups of the tripodal tetradentate ligand. When this substituent is an -XHR group (X = N or C) the traditional Cu (I)/O 2 adduct forms a (mu-1,2)peroxodicopper(II) species ( A). However, when the substituent is the slightly bulkier XR 2 moiety {aryl or NR 2 (R not equal H)}, a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) structure ( C) is favored. The reactivity of one of the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) species, [{(6tbp)Cu (III)} 2(O (2-)) 2] (2+) ( 7-O 2 ) (6tbp = (6- (t)Bu-phenyl-2-pyridylmethyl)bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine), was probed, and for the first time, exogenous toluene or ethylbenzene hydrocarbon oxygenation reactions were observed. Typical monooxygenase chemistry occurred: the benzaldehyde product includes an 18-O atom for toluene/ 7- (1) (8)O 2 reactivity, and a H-atom abstraction by 7-O 2 is apparent from study of its reactions with ArOH substrates, as well as the determination of k H/ k D approximately 7 in the toluene oxygenation (i.e., PhCH 3 vs PhCD 3 substrates). Proposed courses of reaction are presented, including the possible involvement of PhCH 2OO (*) and its subsequent reaction with copper(I) complex, the latter derived from dynamic solution behavior of 7-O 2 . External TMPA ligand exchange for copper in 7-O 2 and O-O bond (re)formation chemistry, along with the ability to protonate 7-O 2 and release of H 2O 2 indicate the presence of an equilibrium between [{(6tbp)Cu (III)} 2(O (2-)) 2] (2+) ( 7-O 2 ) and a (mu-1,2)peroxodicopper(II) form.     

Oxo-transfer reaction from a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex to sulfides

Oxygenation of sulfides to the corresponding sulfoxides by a distinct bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex has been accomplished for the first time using 2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine derivative L(Py1Bz) (N-ethyl-N-[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-alpha,alpha-dideuteriobenzylamine) as the supporting ligand. Detailed kinetic analysis has indicated that the reaction consists of two distinct steps, where the first quick process is association of the substrate to the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex (k(1)) and the second slow process is intramolecular oxygen atom transfer from the copper-oxo species to the substrate in the associated complex (k(2)). The rate constant k(2) of the second process is rather insensitive to the oxidation potential of the substrates, suggesting that the oxo-transfer reaction proceeds via a mechanism involving direct oxygen atom transfer rather than a mechanism involving electron transfer.     

Spectroscopic and kinetic studies of the reaction of [CuI(6-PhTPA)]+ with O2

Oxygenation of [Cu(I)(6-PhTPA)](SbF(6)) in acetone at -90 degrees C produces a short-lived Cu(III)(2)(mu-O)(2) intermediate that exhibits an oxygen-isotope-sensitive nu(Cu-O) mode at 599 cm(-1) and an overtone at 1192 cm(-1). The formation of this intermediate is very fast and is second-order in copper(I) complex, implying that two copper-containing species interact in the rate-limiting step or in pre-equilibrium steps prior to the rate determining step. The decay of this intermediate was facile even at -90 degrees C but did not afford any arene hydroxylation product. Interestingly, the effect of introducing a 6-phenyl substituent on the TPA ligand framework differs from that of a 6-methyl substituent, providing access to a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) intermediate in the former and a (mu-1,2-peroxo)dicopper(II) species in the latter.     

Copper chemistry of beta-diketiminate ligands: monomer/dimer equilibria and a new class of bis(mu-oxo)dicopper compounds

A series of Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of a variety of beta-diketiminate ligands (L(-)) with a range of substitution patterns were prepared and characterized by spectroscopic, electrochemical, and, in several cases, X-ray crystallographic methods. Specifically, complexes of the general formula [LCuCl](2) were structurally characterized and their magnetic properties assessed through EPR spectroscopy of solutions and, in one instance, by variable-temperature SQUID magnetization measurements on a powder sample. UV-vis spectra indicated reversible dissociation to 3-coordinate monomers LCuCl in solution at temperatures above -55 degrees C. The Cu(I) complexes LCu(MeCN) exhibited reversible Cu(I)/Cu(II) redox couples with E(1/2) values between +300 and +520 mV versus NHE (cyclic voltammetry, MeCN solutions). These complexes were highly reactive with O(2), yielding intermediates that were identified as rare examples of neutral bis(mu-oxo)dicopper complexes on the basis of their EPR silence, diagnostic UV-vis absorption data, and O-isotope-sensitive resonance Raman spectroscopic features. The structural features of the compounds [LCuCl](2) and LCu(MeCN) as well as the proclivity to form bis(mu-oxo)dicopper products upon oxygenation of the Cu(I) complexes are compared to data previously reported for complexes of more sterically hindered beta-diketiminate ligands (Aboelella, N. W.; Lewis, E. A.; Reynolds, A. M.; Brennessel, W. W.; Cramer, C. J.; Tolman, W. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 10600. Spencer, D. J. E.; Aboelella, N. W.; Reynolds, A. M.; Holland, P. L.; Tolman, W. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 2108. Holland, P. L.; Tolman, W. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1999, 121, 7270). The observed structural and reactivity differences are rationalized by considering the steric influences of both the substituents on the flanking aromatic rings and those present on the beta-diketiminate backbone.     

Formation, characterization, and reactivity of bis(mu-oxo)dinickel(III) complexes supported by a series of bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]amine ligands.

Bis(mu-oxo)dinickel(III) complexes supported by a series of bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]amine ligands have been successfully generated by treating the corresponding bis(mu-hydroxo)dinickel(II) complexes or bis(mu-methoxo)dinickel(II) complex with an equimolar amount of H(2)O(2) in acetone at low temperature. The bis(mu-oxo)dinickel(III) complexes exhibit a characteristic UV-vis absorption band at approximately 410 nm and a resonance Raman band at 600-610 cm(-1) that shifted to 570-580 cm(-1) upon (18)O-substitution. Kinetic studies and isotope labeling experiments using (18)O(2) imply the existence of intermediate(s) such as peroxo dinickel(II) in the course of formation of the bis(mu-oxo)dinickel(III) complex. The bis(mu-oxo)dinickel(III) complexes supported by the mononucleating ligands (L1(X) = para-substituted N,N-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-2-phenylethylamine; X = OMe, Me, H, Cl) gradually decompose, leading to benzylic hydroxylation of the ligand side arm (phenethyl group). The kinetics of the ligand hydroxylation process including kinetic deuterium isotope effects (KIE), p-substituent effects (Hammett plot), and activation parameters (Delta H(H)(*) and Delta S(H)(*)) indicate that the bis(muxo)dinickel(III) complex exhibits an ability of hydrogen atom abstraction from the substrate moiety as in the case of the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex. Such a reactivity of bis(mu-oxo)dinickel(III) complexes has also been suggested by the observed reactivity toward external substrates such as phenol derivatives and 1,4-cyclohexadiene. The thermal stability of the bis(mu-oxo)dinickel(III) complex is significantly enhanced when the dinucleating ligand with a longer alkyl strap is adopted instead of the mononucleating ligand. In the m-xylyl ligand system, no aromatic ligand hydroxylation occurred, showing a sharp contrast with the reactivity of the (mu-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxo)dicopper(II) complex with the same ligand which induces aromatic ligand hydroxylation via an electrophilic aromatic substitution mechanism. Differences in the structure and reactivity of the active oxygen complexes between the nickel and the copper systems are discussed on the basis of the detailed comparison of these two systems with the same ligand.     

Aliphatic Hydroxylation by a Bis(µ-oxo)dicopper(III) Complex

By using molecular oxygen bis(μ-oxo)dicopper(III) complexes can be produced from Cu(I) complexes with ligand L(X) (L(X)=p-substituted N-ethyl-N-[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-2-phenylethylamine; X=OMe, Me, H, Cl, NO(2)) in which the benzylic position of the ligand is activated and hydroxylated by the Cu(2)O(2) core (see reaction scheme). Detailed characterization of this new C-H bond activation reaction by the bis(μ-oxo)dicopper(III) core reveals important information on the fundamental chemistry underlying copper monooxygenase reactivity.     

Spectroscopic characterization of the oxo-transfer reaction from a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex to triphenylphosphine

The oxygen-atom transfer reaction from the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex [Cu(III)(2)(mu-O)(2)(L)(2)](2+), where L =N,N,N',N' -tetraethylethylenediamine, to PPh(3) has been studied by UV-vis, EPR, (1)H NMR and Cu K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopy in parallel at low temperatures (193 K) and above. Under aerobic conditions (excess dioxygen), 1 reacted with PPh(3), giving O=Ph(3) and a diamagnetic species that has been assigned to an oxo-bridged dicopper(II) complex on the basis of EPR and Cu K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopic data. Isotope-labeling experiments ((18)O(2)) established that the oxygen atom incorporated into the triphenylphosphine oxide came from both complex 1 and exogenous dioxygen. Detailed kinetic studies revealed that the process is a third-order reaction; the rate law is first order in both complex 1 and triphenylphosphine, as well as in dioxygen. At temperatures above 233 K, reaction of 1 with PPh(3) was accompanied by ligand degradation, leading to oxidative N-dealkylation of one of the ethyl groups. By contrast, when the reaction was performed in the absence of excess dioxygen, negligible substrate (PPh(3)) oxidation was observed. Instead, highly symmetrical copper complexes with a characteristic isotropic EPR signal at g= 2.11 were formed. These results are discussed in terms of parallel reaction channels that are activated under various conditions of temperature and dioxygen.     

Effects of thioether substituents on the O2 reactivity of beta-diketiminate-Cu(I) complexes: probing the role of the methionine ligand in copper monooxygenases

The activation of dioxygen by dopamine beta-monooxygenase (DbetaM) and peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase (PHM) is postulated to occur at a copper site ligated by two histidine imidazoles and a methionine thioether, which is unusual because such thioether ligation is not present in other O2-activating copper proteins. To assess the possible role of the thioether ligand in O2 activation by DbetaM and PHM, two new ligands comprising beta-diketiminates with thioether substituents were synthesized and Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes were isolated. The Cu(II) compounds are monomeric and exhibit intramolecular thioether coordination. While the Cu(I) complexes exhibit a multinuclear topology in the solid state, variable-temperature 1H NMR studies implicate equilibria in solution, possibly including monomers with intramolecular thioether coordination that are structurally defined by DFT calculations. Low-temperature oxygenation of solutions of the Cu(I) complexes generates stable 1:1 Cu/O2 adducts, which on the basis of combined experimental and theoretical studies adopt side-on "eta(2)" structures with negligible Cu-thioether bonding and significant peroxo-Cu(III) character. In contrast to previously reported findings with related ligands lacking the thioether group, however (cf., Aboelella; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 16896), purging the solutions of the thioether-containing adducts with argon results in conversion to bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) species. A role for the thioether in promoting loss of O2 from the 1:1 Cu/O2 adduct and facilitating trapping of the resulting Cu(I) complex to yield the bis(mu-oxo) species is proposed, and the possible relevance of this role to that of the methionine in the active sites of DbetaM and PHM is discussed.     

A new class of (mu-eta2:eta2-disulfido)dicopper complexes: synthesis, characterization, and disulfido exchange

Rare examples of (mu-eta2:eta2-disulfido)dicopper complexes have been prepared from Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes of beta-diketiminate and anilido-imine supporting ligands. A novel byproduct derived from sulfur functionalization of the methine position of a beta-diketiminate ligand was identified. DFT calculations on [(LCu)2X2] (L = beta-diketiminate, X = O or S) complexes rationalize the absence of a bis(mu-sulfido)dicopper isomer, [Cu2(mu-S)2](2+), in the synthetic reactions, yet predict that a [Cu2(mu-S)2](0) core is a stable product of 2-electron reduction of the [Cu2(mu-eta2:eta2-S2)](2+) unit. Exchange of the disulfido ligand was discovered upon reaction of a (mu-eta2:eta2-disulfido)dicopper complex with a Cu(I) reagent.     

Reversible O-O bond cleavage in copper-dioxygen isomers: impact of anion basicity

Low-temperature oxygenation of copper(I) complexes of N,N,N',N'-tetraethylpropane-1,3-diamine yields solutions containing both mu-eta2:eta2-peroxodicopper(II) (P) and bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) (O) valence isomers. The P/O equilibrium position depends on the nature of the counteranion; P is favored with more basic anions. Titration and EXAFS experiments as well as DFT calculations suggest that axial donation from a sulfonate anion to the copper centers imparts an electronic/electrostatic bias toward the P isomer.     

Bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complexes of a homologous series of simple peralkylated 1,2-diamines: steric modulation of structure, stability, and reactivity

We have synthesized and characterized bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) dimers 1b-4b (Os) based on a core family of peralkylated trans-(1R,2R)-cyclohexanediamine (CD) ligands, self-assembled from the corresponding [LCu(MeCN)]CF3SO3 species 1a-4a and O2 at 193 K in aprotic media; additional Os based on peralkylated ethylenediamine and tridentate polyazacyclononane ligands were synthesized analogously for comparative purposes (5b-7b and 8b-9b, respectively). Trigonal-planar [LCu(MeCN)]1+ species are proposed as the active O precursors. The 3-coordinate Cu(I) complexes [(L(TE))Cu(MeCN)]CF3SO3 (4a) and [(L(TB))Cu(MeCN)]CF3SO3 (10a) were structurally characterized; the apparent O2-inertness of 10a correlates with the steric demands of its four benzyl substituents. The rate of O formation, a multistep process that likely proceeds via associative formation of a 1:1 [LCu(O2)]1+ intermediate, exhibits significant dependence upon ligand sterics and solvent: oxygenation of 4a-the slowest-reacting O precursor of the CD series-is first-order with respect to [4a] and proceeds at least 300 times faster in tetrahydrofuran than in CH2Cl2. The EPR, UV-vis, and resonance Raman spectra of 1b-9b are all characteristic of the diamagnetic bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) core. The intense ligand-to-metal charge transfer absorption maxima of CD-based Os are red-shifted proportionally with increasing peripheral ligand bulk, an effect ascribed to a slight distortion of the [Cu2O2] rhomb. The well-ordered crystal structure of [(L(ME))2Cu2(mu-O)2](CF3SO3)2.4CH2Cl2 ([3b. 4CH2Cl2]) features the most metrically compact [Cu2O2]2+ core among structurally characterized Os (av Cu-O 1.802(7) A; Cu...Cu 2.744(1) A) and exemplifies the minimal square-planar ligation environment necessary for stabilization of Cu(III). The reported Os are mild oxidants with moderate reactivity toward coordinating substrates, readily oxidizing thiols, certain activated alkoxides, and electron-rich phenols in a net 2e-, 2H+ process. In the absence of substrates, 1b-9b undergo thermally induced autolysis with concomitant degradation of the polyamine ligands. Ligand product distribution and primary kinetic isotope effects (kobsH/kobsD approximately 8, 1b/d24-1b, 293 K) support a unimolecular mechanism involving rate-determining C-H bond cleavage at accessible ligand N-alkyl substituents. Decomposition half-lives span almost 3 orders of magnitude at 293 K, ranging from approximately 2 s for 4b to almost 30 min for d(24)-1b, the most thermally robust dicationic O yet reported. Dealkylation is highly selective where ligand rigidity constrains accessibility; in 3b, the ethyl groups are attacked preferentially. The observed relative thermal stabilities and dealkylation selectivities of 1b-9b are correlated with NC(alpha)-H bond dissociation energies, statistical factors, ligand backbone rigidity, and ligand denticity/axial donor strength. Among the peralkylated amines surveyed, bidentate ligands with oxidatively robust NC(alpha)-H bonds provide optimal stabilization for Os. Fortuitously, the least sterically demanding N-alkyl substituent (methyl) gives rise to the most thermally stable and most physically accessible O core, retaining the potential for exogenous substrate reactivity.     

beta-diketiminate ligand backbone structural effects on Cu(I)/O(2) reactivity: unique copper-superoxo and bis(mu-oxo) complexes

Copper(I) and -(II) complexes of beta-diketiminate ligands with identical flanking 2,6-diisopropylphenyl groups but divergent backbone substitution patterns were prepared and structurally characterized, and reactions of the Cu(I) species with O(2) at low temperature were explored. Despite being far removed from the coordinated metal ion, the different backbone patterns significantly influence the steric encumbrance exerted by the ligands, as revealed by differences in (a) the structural features of the Cu(I) and Cu(II) complexes and (b) the course of the oxygenation reactions of the Cu(I) compounds. With the less hindered ligand, a rare example of a neutral bis(mu-oxo)dicopper complex was identified on the basis of its diagnostic spectral features (UV-vis, resonance Raman, EPR) and the stoichiometry of O(2) uptake (Cu:O(2) = 2:1). In contrast, oxygenation of the Cu(I) complexes supported by the more hindered ligands yielded novel (superoxo)copper complexes, identified by a Cu:O(2) ratio of 1:1, a lack of an EPR signal, and O-isotope sensitive resonance Raman spectral features (nu(O)(-)(O) = 968 cm(-1), Delta(18)O(2) = 51 cm(-1)). Symmetric coordination of the superoxo ligand is proposed on the basis of Raman data acquired using (16)O(18)O (single peak at 943 cm(-1)).