New organically templated copper(I) sulfites: the role of sulfite anion as both soft and hard ligand

Two new organically templated layered copper(I) sulfites, namely, {H2pip}{Cu3(CN)3(SO3)} (1) and {H2pip}{NaCu2(SO3)2Br(H2O)}.2H2O (2) (pip = piperazine), have been synthesized by hydrothermal reactions of copper(I) cyanide or copper(I) bromide with NaHSO3 and piperazine. Both compounds exhibit a layered structure. The 2D layer of {Cu3(CN)3(SO3)}2- in 1 is composed of 1D chains of copper(I) cyanide interconnected by sulfite anions via both Cu-S and Cu-O bonds, whereas the 2D layer of {NaCu2(SO3)2Br}2- in 2 is formed by 1D chains of copper(I) bromide and 1D sodium(I) aqua chains that are interconnected by sulfite anions via Na-O, Cu-S, and Cu-O bonds. Chemical bonding in 1 and 2 has been also investigated by theoretical calculations based on DFT methods.     

The first precise molecular structure of a monomeric transition metal cyanide,copper(I) cyanide

Copper(I) cyanide is an important reagent in organic, organometallic, and supramolecular chemistry because of both the copper center and the versatile cyanide ligand. Solid-phase CuCN and many of its derivatives show oligomeric or polymeric structures, a trait shared by other metal cyanides. Often, it is difficult to specify the orientation of the cyano ligand in an X-ray structure. Here the first preparation and precise structure of a monomeric transition metal cyanide is reported. Gas-phase reaction between copper vapor and cyanogen (NCCN) clearly gives CuCN (not CuNC). The precise structure of CuCN so produced is determined by millimeter/submillimeter-wave spectroscopy. Because of the highly efficient synthesis and the presence of significant amounts of two copper isotopes, such strong signals were seen that natural-abundance materials allowed observation of transitions for the four isotopomers (63)Cu(12)C(14)N, (65)Cu(12)C(14)N, (63)Cu(13)C(14)N, and (63)Cu(12)C(15)N and the determination of r(o), r(s), and r(m)((2)) structures. All data unequivocally show a linear geometry and that the carbon of cyanide is bound to copper with a Cu-C distance of 1.82962(4) A in the r(m)((2)) structure, which is likely to be closest to the equilibrium geometry.     

Reactions of lithium tributyl heteroaryl borates with allylic bromides in the presence of copper(I) cyanide

The reaction of various lithium tributylheteroarylborates with allylic bromides in the presence of copper(I) cyanide furnished the regioselective allylation at the heteroaryl ring.     

Catalytic effect of copper on the hexacyanoferrate(III)-cyanide redox reaction-I The uncatalysed and catalysed reactions

A kinetic study of the hexacyanoferrate(III)-cyanide redox reaction has been made in connection with development of a new catalytic method for copper. The reaction kinetics change with time from first- to second-order dependence with respect to hexacyanoferrate(III). The reaction is nearly inverse first-order with respect to hexacyanoferrate(II) and first-order with respect to cyanide. The reaction shows a strong positive primary salt effect, but a very small increase in the reaction rate with temperature is found. A parallel reaction proceeds with a first-order dependence with respect to hydroxide. A tentative mechanism is proposed for the first reaction, involving the formation of cyanogen radicals. The second reaction corresponds to the well-known decomposition of hexacyanoferrate(III) in alkaline medium. The catalysed reaction exhibits similar kinetics with respect to hexacyanoferrate(II) and (III) but is zero-order with respect to cyanide and hydroxide and first-order with respect to catalyst. The proposed mechanism involves two consecutive interactions of the hexacyanoferrate(III) with copper(I) and with copper(II) cyanide complexes respectively, followed by a 2-electron oxidation of a co-ordinatively bridging cyanide group.     

A unique cyanide-bridged three-dimensional (3-D) copper(II)-copper(I) mixed-valence polymer containing 1-D water tapes with cyclic pentamer units

A unique cyano-bridged copper(II)-copper(I) mixed-valence polymer, {[Cu(3)(CN)(4)(H(2)O)(3)](H(2)O)(2)}(n) (1), has been prepared and structurally determined by X-ray diffraction. The cyanide anions with (mu(2),eta(2)) and (mu(3),eta(2)) bridging modes connect the copper centers into a complicated zeolite-like 3-D network. Of further interest, coordinated and lattice water molecules in this structure form 1-D hydrogen-bonded water tapes consisting of linked cyclic pentamer clusters.     

Quantum-Chemical Study of Electroreduction Mechanism of Copper(I) Cyanide Complexes

Mechanism of electroreduction of copper(I) cyanide complexes from aqueous electrolytic solutions is studied within a quantum-chemical method of a density functional and a quantum-mechanical theory of charge transfer in polar environment. The electrochemically active form directly participating in an elementary electroreduction act is shown to be the [Cu(CN)₂]^– complex. Modeling calculations of the activation energy for an elementary charge transfer act reveal for the first time that the transfer of heavy particles along an adiabatic potential energy curve is a more probable mechanism of electroreduction of copper(I) cyanocomplexes than an outer-sphere electron transfer.     

Palladium-catalyzed, copper(I)-mediated coupling of boronic acids and benzylthiocyanate. A cyanide-free cyanation of boronic acids

A new method for the synthesis of nitriles is described. As a complement to the classic cyanation of aryl halides using cyanide sources and a transition metal catalyst, the palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of thiocyanates with boronic acids in the presence of copper(I) thiophene-2-carboxylate (CuTC) affords nitriles in good to excellent yields.     

Reversed-phase ion-interaction chromatography of Cu(I)-cyanide complexes

It has been established that during the separation of Cu(I)-cyanide complexes, the cyanide:Cu(I) molar ratio, R of the eluted complex remained constant irrespective of the R value injected onto the column, and there was considerable tailing of the unretained cyanide peak and fronting of the Cu(I)-cyanide peak in an eluent containing no cyanide. The addition of small amounts of cyanide (100 μM) to the eluent resulted in the elimination of these effects on peak shape and a significant increase in the retention of the Cu(I)-cyanide species. These results suggested that more than one Cu(I)-cyanide complex may be present in the Cu(I)-cyanide peak in an eluent containing no cyanide. Three different detection systems [Fourier transform Infrared (FTIR) and photodiode array spectrophotometry and a post-column reaction (PCR)], were used to determine changes that occurred to the Cu(I)-cyanide complexes during the separation with eluents containing from 0 to 100 μM cyanide. The FTIR approach was unsuccessful due to a lack of sensitivity. The UV spectrum of the Cu(I) peak in any one eluent remained constant, irrespective of the composition of the injected sample, but there were distinct changes in this spectrum among eluents. Similarly, the R value of the Cu(I) peak determined by PCR remained the same in any one eluent but ranged from about 2.5 to about 3.4 for these eluents. The R value was found to vary within the eluted Cu(I)-cyanide peak, especially in an eluent containing no added cyanide. These results show that more than one Cu(I)-cyanide complex is present in the eluted peak and that in the absence of cyanide in the eluent, the eluted peak consists of a mixture of the di- and tricyano complexes of Cu(I).     

Über Kupfer(I)-carboxylate und Chlorocuprate(I)

In mixtures of 7 vol. acetonitrile and 3 vol. acetic acid, solutions or suspensions of copper(II) acetate can be reduced with hydrazine hydrate to solutions of copper(I) acetate. In this way, purely white copper(I) acetate can be isolated. Other copper(I) carboxylates can be prepared by reduction of copper(II) carboxylates or by reaction of solid carboxylic acids with copper(I) acetate. By adding acetyl chloride to solutions of copper(I) acetate in acetonitrile/acetic acid mixtures, solutions of chlorocuprates(I) are formed. From these, highly pure copper(I) chloride can be obtained. By adding alkali acetate or tetramethyl ammonium chloride to solutions of chlorocuprates(I), the pure compounds Cs₃[Cu₂Cl₅], Rb₂[CuCl₃] and NMe₄[Cu₂Cl₃] were obtained.     

Hydrothermal syntheses,crystal structures,and properties of two-dimensional homo- and heterometallic cyanide-bridged complexes: [Cu2(CN)2(bpym)] and [Fe(bipy)2(CN)4Cu2] (bpym = 2,2'-bipyrimidine,bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine)

The hydrothermal reaction of K(3)[Fe(CN)(6)], CuCl(2), and 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) resulted in the formation of a 2D cyanide-bridged heterobimetallic Fe(II)-Cu(I) complex, [Fe(bipy)(2)(CN)(4)Cu(2)], 1. Working in the same conditions, but using 2,2'-bipyrimidine (bpym) instead of bipy and methanol as solvent, we obtained the homometallic Cu(I) complex [Cu(2)(CN)(2)(bpym)](2), 2. The structure of 1 consists of cyanide-bridged Fe(II)-Cu(I) layers, constructed from alternately fused 6 (Fe(2)Cu(4)) and 10 (Fe(2)Cu(8)) metal-membered centrosymmetric rings, in which copper(I) and iron(II) ions exhibit distorted trigonal planar and octahedral cooordination environments, respectively. The formation of 1 can be explained by assuming that, under high pressure and temperature, iron(III) and copper(II) ions are reduced with the simultaneous and/or subsequent substitution of four cyanide ligands by two bipy molecules in the ferricyanide anions. It is interesting to note that 1 is the first cyanide-bridged heterobimetallic complex prepared by solvothermal methods. The structure of 2 consists of neutral 2D honeycomb layers constructed from fused Cu(6)(CN)(4)(bpym)(2) rings, in which copper(I) atoms exhibit distorted tetrahedral geometry. The isolation of 1 and 2, by using K(3)[Fe(CN)(6)] as starting material, demonstrates that hydrothermal chemistry can be used not only to prepare homometallic materials but also to prepare cyanide-bridged bimetallic materials. The temperature dependence of chi(M)T and M?ssbauer measurements for 1 reveal the existence of a high spin <--> low spin equilibrium involving the Fe(II) ions.     

A polarographic study of the redox and complex-forming reactions of penicillamine, N-acetylpenicillamine and copper (I) or (II)

Polarographic methods are used to study the redox and complexation reactions between copper(II) or (I) and penicillamine, N-acetylpenicillamine or the oxidation product, dithiobisvaline. The formation of a 1:1 copper(I) complex between penicillamine and copper(I) was proved, and the stability of the complex measured. Copper(II) oxidizes the sulphur compound to the disulphide and the copper(I) formed then forms a complex with the sulphur amino-acid. The greater stability of the non-acetylated copper(I) complex suggests that RSCu(I) contains a chelate ring with participation of the free amino group. The disulphide can only form a complex with copper(II) and the stability of this complex is low. The results suggest that the copper(I) chelate is the form in which copper is eliminated during treatment with penicillamine.     

Determination of thallium(I) in solutions containing cations interfering in potentiometric ion-pair formation-based titrations

The possibility of the use of simple potentiometric coated-wire sensors in the analysis of mixtures of ions, the determination of which is based on the ion-pairing principle, was studied. Attention was especially paid on the determination of thallium(I) in the presence of alkali metal ions, mercury(II), copper(II) and silver(I). It was found that thallium(I) can selectively be titrated with sodium tetraphenylborate in diluted solutions. Interferences of ions of the alkali metals are practically negligible if their concentrations are lower than 10(-3) mol dm(-3). Interference of Cu(II) is minimized using EDTA as a masking agent, Hg(II) and Ag(I) ions are sufficiently screened by additions of sodium cyanide. In mixtures containing higher concentrations of alkali metals, thallium(I) can be oxidized to thallium(III) and selectively titrated as TlCl(-)(4) with a cationic titrant.     

Determination of sulphide, polysulphide, thiocarbonates and sulphur by extraction with tributyltin hydroxide, and of thiosulphate by hydrogenation

The methods presented involve the separation of sulphur compounds by means of a hexane solution of tributyltin hydroxide (TBT), followed by titration with o-hydroxymercuribenzoic acid in the presence of dithizone as indicator. Free sulphide is selectively extracted from strongly alkaline solution, whereas the polysulphides and thiocarbonates are extracted at pH 9-10. The polysulphide and thiocarbonate extracts decompose to form TBT-sulphide, sulphur and carbon disulphide. Treatment with sulphite, stannate(II), copper, vinyl cyanide and ethylenediamine, and hydrogenation with zinc and hydrobromic acid have been applied in the course of the analysis. The sulphur is determined by its attack on copper to form copper(I) sulphide which is subsequently dissolved in aqueous potassium cyanide solution and the sulphide separated by extraction.     

Copper(I) activity of the copper(II) ion-selective electrode

The Orion copper(II) ion-selective electrode responds well to copper(II) ions in aqueous medium. However, in the presence of acetonitrile and copper(I) ions, it can behave as a copper(I) ion-selective electrode with Nernstian behaviour.     

The regiochemistry of the stannylcupration of allenes: synthesis of allylstannanes using the lower order cuprate (Bu3Sn)CuCNLi

The lower order cuprate (Bu₃Sn)CuCNLi, prepared by mixing 1 equiv of tributylstannyllithium and 1 equiv of copper(I) cyanide, reacts with allenes showing a regiochemistry opposite to that previously reported for higher order stannylcuprates. Capture of the intermediate allylstannane-vinylcuprate species with different electrophiles allows the selective formation of allylstannanes with different substitution pattern. Reaction with acetylenes was also checked.     

Catalytic effect of copper on the hexacyanoferrate(III)-cyanide redox reaction

The oxidation of cyanide with hexacyanoferrate(III) is a thermodynamically possible but kinetically slow reaction, which is catalysed by copper(II). The catalysed reaction has a second-order dependence on hexacyanoferrate(III) concentration, and the pseudo second-order rate constant increases linearly with the copper concentration, at least in the range from 10(-7) to 10(-3)M.     

Metal ion capillary zone electrophoresis with direct UV detection: Separation of metal cyanide complexes

Mixtures of cyanide complexes of iron(III), copper(I), iron(II), nickel(II), chromium(III), mercury(II), palladium(II), silver(I), cadmium(II), zinc(II), cobalt(II), and cobalt(III) have been separated by capillary zone electrophoresis using a fused silica capillary and 20 mM phosphate buffers containing 1–2 mM sodium cyanide. The complexes were detected by direct UV absorpticn at 214 nm; detection limits are in the mid ppb range for all metals except cadmium and zinc. The different detectability of various metal cyanide complexes enables the application of the method to the analysis of complex matrices such as cyanide plating bath solutions.     

Dendrimers with a copper(I) bis(phenanthroline) core: synthesis, electronic properties, and kinetics

The copper(I) bis(chelate) complex Cu(L(0))(2) has been prepared from 2,9-diphenethyl-1,10-phenanthroline and Cu(CH(3)CN)(4)BF(4). Derivative Cu(L(0))(2) has been characterized by NMR, UV-vis spectroscopy, and X-ray crystallography. Interestingly, owing to the presence of the ethylene linker, the interligand pi-pi stacking interactions between the phenyl rings and the phenanthroline subunits in Cu(L(0))(2) do not induce significant distortions of the pseudotetrahedral symmetry around the Cu(I) center in the solid state or in solution. Following the synthesis of Cu(L(0))(2), dendrimers Cu(L(1)(-)(4))(2) with a Cu(I) bis(2,9-diphenethyl-1,10-phenanthroline) core surrounded by Fréchet type dendritic branches have been prepared and the kinetics of their cyanide-assisted demetalation studied. Importantly, the surrounding dendritic wedges have no significant influence on the coordination geometry of the Cu(I) center, as deduced from their absorption spectra. Therefore, the variations of the rate constants only reflect changes resulting from the presence of the dendritic branches. The kinetics of the cyanide-mediated demetalation reaction indeed revealed that cyanide diffusion through the dendritic shell is slightly influenced by the size of the branches. Significant effects were observed in the kinetics when going from the third to the fourth generation and have been ascribed to changes in the lipophilicity around the metallic core as a result of dendritic encapsulation.     

The electrochemical reactions of copper(II) and copper(I) chloride in n,n-dimethylformamide

Polarographic, voltammetric and controlled-potential coulometric studies of copper(II) and copper(I) chloride in dimethylformamide are reported. The two chloride complexes of copper(II) are reduced in a total of three electrochemical steps to two copper(I)-chloride complexes and to copper(0). The two copper(I)-chloride species are reduced to copper(0) and oxidized to copper(II)-chloride complexes. The dissociation constant of the tetrachlorocuprate(II) complex has been polarographically estimated to be 10^-25.     

Tetraalkoxyaluminates of nickel(II), copper(II), and copper(I)

The syntheses and structural details of tetraisopropoxyaluminates and tetra-tert-butoxyaluminates of nickel(II), copper(I), and copper(II) are reported. Within the nickel series, either Ni[Al(OiPr)4]2.2HOiPr, with nickel(II) in a distorted octahedral oxygen environment, or Ni[Al(OiPr)4]2.py, with nickel(II) in a square-pyramidal O4N coordination sphere, or Ni[(iPrO)(tBuO)3Al]2, with Ni(II) in a quasi-tetrahedral oxygen coordination, has been obtained. Another isolated complex is Ni[(iPrO)3AlOAl(OiPr)3].3py (with nickel(II) being sixfold-coordinated), which may also be described as a "NiO" species trapped by two Al(OiPr)3 Lewis acid-base systems stabilized at nickel by three pyridine donors. Copper(I) compounds have been isolated in three forms: [(iPrO)4Al]Cu.2py, [(tBuO)4Al]Cu.2py, and Cu2[(tBuO)4Al]2. In all of these compounds, the aluminate moiety behaves as a bidentate unit, creating a tetrahedrally distorted N2O2 copper environment in the pyridine adducts. In the base-free copper(I) tert-butoxyaluminate, a dicopper dumbbell [Cu-Cu 2.687(1) A] is present with two oxygen contacts on each of the copper atoms. Copper(II) alkoxyaluminates have been characterized either as Cu[(tBuO)4Al]2, {Cu(iPrO)[(iPrO)4Al]}2, and Cu[(tBuO)3(iPrO)Al]2 (copper being tetracoordinated by oxygen) or as [(iPrO)4Al]2Cu.py (pentacoordinated copper similar to the nickel derivative). Finally, a copper(II) hydroxyaluminate has been isolated, displaying pentacoordinate copper (O4N coordination sphere) by dimerization, with the formula {[(tBuO)4Al]Cu(OH).py}2. The formation of all of these isolated products is not always straightforward because some of these compounds in solution are subject to decomposition or are involved in equilibria. Besides NMR [copper(I) compounds], UV absorptions and magnetic moments are used to characterize the compounds.