Synthesis, characterization, and structures of copper(II)-thiosulfate complexes incorporating tripodal tetraamine ligands

The reaction of Cu(L)(H(2)O)](2+) with an excess of thiosulfate in aqueous solution produces a blue to green color change indicative of thiosulfate coordination to Cu(II) L = tren, Bz(3)tren, Me(6)tren, and Me(3)tren; tren = tris(2-aminoethyl)amine, Bz(3)tren = tris(2-benzylaminoethyl)amine, Me(6)tren = tris(2,2-dimethylaminoethyl)amine, and Me(3)tren = tris(2-methylaminoethyl)amine]. In excess thiosulfate, only Cu(Me(6)tren)(H(2)O)](2+) promotes the oxidation of thiosulfate to polythionates. Products suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses were obtained for three thiosulfate complexes, namely, Cu(tren)(S(2)O(3))].H(2)O, Cu(Bz(3)tren)(S(2)O(3))].MeOH, and (H(3)Me(3)tren)Cu(Me(3)tren)(S(2)O(3))](2)(ClO(4))(3). Isolation of Cu(Me(6)tren)(S(2)O(3))] was prevented by its reactivity. In each complex, the copper(II) center is found in a trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) geometry consisting of four amine nitrogen atoms, with the bridgehead nitrogen in an axial position and an S-bound thiosulfate in the other axial site. Each structure exhibits H bonding (involving the amine ligand, thiosulfate, and solvent molecule, if present), forming either 2D sheets or 1D chains. The structure of Cu(Me(3)tren)(MeCN)](ClO(4))(2) was also determined for comparison since no structures of mononuclear Cu(II)-Me(3)tren complexes have been reported. The thiosulfate binding constant was determined spectrophotometrically for each Cu(II)-amine complex. Three complexes yielded the highest values reported to date K(f) = (1.82 +/- 0.09) x 10(3) M(-1) for tren, (4.30 +/- 0.21) x 10(4) M(-1) for Bz(3)tren, and (2.13 +/- 0.05) x 10(3) M(-1) for Me(3)tren], while for Me(6)tren, the binding constant was much smaller (40 +/- 10 M(-1)).