Spectral and electrochemical study of coordination molecules Cu4OX6L4: 3-Methylpyridine and 4-Methylpyridine Cu4OBrnCl(6−n)L4 complexes

The tetranuclear Cu₄OBr_nCl_(6-n)L₄ complexes, where L = 3-methylpyridine (3-Mepy), 4-methylpyridine (4-Mepy) and n=0–6 with trigonal bipyramidal coordination of copper(II) were prepared and their infrared and electronic absorption spectra as well as cyclic voltammograms in nitromethane solutions were measured. The polyhedra in Cu₄OBr_nCl_(6−n) (3-Mepy)₄ molecules are less distorted comparing with those of 4-Mepy analogues as indicated by infrared Cu₄O absorptions, far infrared Cu—Br, Cu—Cl, and Cu—N absorptions, d—d bands in electronic spectra and potentials, measured by cyclic voltammetry. The 3-Mepy complexes exhibit strong single infrared Cu₄O absorptions, while for related 4-Mepy complexes doubly split Cu₄O bands were observed. Two strongly overlapped d—d bands in electronic absorption spectra of the 3-and 4-Mepy complexes in nitromethane were resolved by Gaussian fitting. The 4-Mepy ligand produces slightly stronger ligand field than its 3-Mepy analogue. The maxima of high-energy d—d bands are in a linear correlation with the number of bromide ligands. The correlations for corresponding low-energy bands are considerably deviated from linearity. The halfwave potentials of the complexes in nitromethane correlate with both the number of bromides and the data of electronic absorption spectra suggesting that the reducing electron at the electrode process enters the half-filled d _{z 2} orbital of the copper(II) atom. The origin of a difference between the 3-and 4-Mepy complexes in their spectral and electrochemical properties is also discussed.