Copper(II) complexes of new biomimetic polydentate amide ligands: a spectroscopic study

Complexes of Cu(II) with N,N'-bis(3-carboxy-1-oxopropanyl)-1,2-ethylenediamine(C(10)H(16)N(2)O(6),L(1)), N,N'-bis(3-carboxy-1-oxopropanyl)-1,2-phenylenediamine(C(14)H(16)N(2)O(6),L(2)), N,N'-bis(2-carboxy-1-oxophenelenyl)-1,2-phenylenediamine(C(22)H(16)N(2)O(6),L(3)) and N,N'-bis(3-carboxy-1-oxoprop-2-enyl)-1,2-phenylenediamine(C(14)H(12)N(2)O(6),L(4)) have been prepared and characterised by elemental analyses, vibrational spectra, magnetic susceptibility measurements, ligand field spectra, EPR spectra, thermal studies and X-ray diffraction spectra. Vibrational spectra indicate coordination of amide and carboxylate oxygens of the ligands giving a MO(4) square planar chromophore. Ligand field and EPR spectra support square planar geometry around Cu(II). Cu(L(1))] complex has the maximum activation energy and Cu(L(3))] complex has the minimum activation energy.