New diamondoid-like [Cu3B(μ-O)6] core self-assembled from Bis-Tris biobuffer for mild hydrocarboxylation of alkanes to carboxylic acids

The new tricopper(II) complex [Cu(3)(μ(3)-BO)(H(3)L)(3)][BF(4)]·2H(2)O (1) with an unprecedented diamondoid-like [Cu(3)B(μ-O)(6)] core has been easily generated by self-assembly in an aqueous medium from Cu(NO(3))(2), NaBF(4), NaOH and Bis-Tris (H(5)L) biobuffer, (HOCH(2))(3)CN(CH(2)CH(2)OH)(2). Compound 1 efficiently promotes the mild single-pot hydrocarboxylation, by CO and H(2)O, of various linear and cyclic C(n) (n = 2-8) alkanes into the corresponding C(n+1) carboxylic acids.     

Ortho-hydroxyphenylhydrazo-β-diketones: tautomery, coordination ability, and catalytic activity of their copper(II) complexes toward oxidation of cyclohexane and benzylic alcohols

New hydrazone o-HO-phenylhydrazo-β-diketones (OHADB), R(1)NHN═CR(2)R(3) [R(1) = HO-2-C(6)H(4), R(2) = R(3) = COMe (H(2)L(1), 1), R(2)R(3) = COCH(2)C(Me)(2)CH(2)CO (H(2)L(2), 2), R(2) = COMe, R(3) = COOEt (H(2)L(4), 4); R(1) = HO-2-O(2)N-4-C(6)H(3), R(2)R(3) = COCH(2)C(Me)(2)CH(2)CO (H(2)L(3), 3), R(2) = COMe, R(3) = COOEt (H(2)L(5), 5), R(2)R(3) = COMe (H(2)L(6), 6A)], and their Cu(II) complexes [Cu(2)(CH(3)OH)(2)(μ-L(1))(2)] 7, [Cu(2)(H(2)O)(2)(μ-L(2))(2)] 8, [Cu(H(2)O)(L(3))] 9, [Cu(2)(μ-L(4))(2)](n) 10, [Cu(H(2)O)(L(5))] 11, [Cu(2)(H(2)O)(2)(μ-L(6))(2)] 12A and [Cu(H(2)O)(2)(L(6))] 12B were synthesized and fully characterized, namely, by X-ray analysis (4, 5, 7-12B). Reaction of 6A, Cu(NO(3))(2) and ethylenediamine (en) leads, via Schiff-base condensation, to [Cu{H(2)NCH(2)CH(2)N═C(Me)C(COMe)═NNC(6)H(3)-2-O-4-NO(2)}] (13), and reactions of 12A and 12B with en give the Schiff-base polymer [Cu{H(2)NCH(2)CH(2)N═C(Me)C(COMe)═NNC(6)H(3)-2-O-4-NO(2)}](n) 14. The dependence of the OHADB tautomeric equilibria on temperature, electronic properties of functional groups, and solvent polarity was studied. The OHADB from unsymmetrical β-diketones exist in solution as a mixture of enol-azo and hydrazo tautomeric forms, while in the solid state all the free and coordinated OHADB crystallize in the hydrazo form. The relative stabilities of various tautomers were studied by density functional theory (DFT). 7-14 show catalytic activities for peroxidative oxidation (in MeCN/H(2)O) of cyclohexane to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone, for selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohols to benzaldehydes in aq. solution, mediated by TEMPO radical, under mild conditions and for the MW-assisted solvent-free synthesis of ketones from secondary alcohols with tert-butylhydroperoxide as oxidant.     

Supramolecular assemblies of trinuclear triangular copper(II) secondary building units through hydrogen bonds. Generation of different metal-organic frameworks, valuable catalysts for peroxidative oxidation of alkanes

Formation of the trinuclear triangular copper derivative [Cu3(mu3-OH)(mu-pz)3(EtCOO)2(H2O)] x H2O, 1b (Hpz = pyrazole), has been simply achieved by addition of Hpz to a water solution of Cu(EtCOO)2 x H2O and leaving the resulting solution to crystallize at ca. 12 degrees C. When the reaction and crystallization were carried out at a slightly higher temperature (18-22 degrees C), the compound [Cu3(mu3-OH)(mu-pz)3(EtCOO)2(H2O)], 1c, formed. Single-crystal X-ray molecular structure determinations show that both compounds have analogous trinuclear triangular structures, but very different supramolecular assemblies, due mainly, but not only, to the crystallization molecule of H2O in 1b. In particular, contrarily to the previously reported, strictly related, [Cu3(mu3-OH)(mu-pz)3(EtCOO)2(EtOH)], 1a, the propionate ions in 1b and 1c do not bridge different triangular units, whereas they are involved in intra- and intermolecular H-bonds, generating complex supramolecular 2-D MOFs. Compounds 1a and 1c act as remarkably active and selective catalysts or catalyst precursors for liquid biphasic (MeCN/H2O) peroxidative oxidation of cyclohexane and cyclopentane to the corresponding alcohols and ketones.     

Self-assembled copper(II) coordination polymers derived from aminopolyalcohols and benzenepolycarboxylates: structural and magnetic properties

The new copper(II) or copper(II)/sodium(I) 1D coordination polymers [Cu2(Hmdea)2(mu-H2O)(mu2-tpa)]n.2nH2O (1), [Cu2(H2tipa)2(mu2-ipa)]n.4nH2O (2), [Cu2(H2tea)2Na(H2O)2(mu2-tma)]n.6nH2O (3), [Cu2(H2tea)2(mu2-ipa)]n.nH2O (4a), and [Cu2(H2tea)2{mu3-Na(H2O)3}(mu3-ipa)]n(NO3)n.0.5nH2O (4b) have been prepared in aqueous medium by self-assembly from copper(II) nitrate, aminopolyalcohols [methyldiethanolamine (H2mdea), triisopropanolamine (H3tipa), and triethanolamine (H3tea)] as main chelating ligands and benzenepolycarboxylic acids [terephthalic (H2tpa), isophthalic (H2ipa), and trimesic (H3tma) acid] as spacers. They have been characterized by IR spectroscopy, elemental and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses, the latter indicating the formation of unusual multinuclear metal cores interconnected by various benzenepolycarboxylate spacers, leading to distinct wavelike, zigzag, or linear 1D polymeric metal-organic chains. These are further extended to 2D or 3D hydrogen-bonded supramolecular networks via extensive interactions with the intercalated crystallization water molecules. The latter are associated, also with aqua ligands, by hydrogen bonds resulting in acyclic (H2O)3 clusters in 1, (H2O)8 clusters in 2, infinite 1D water chains in 3, and disordered water-nitrate associates in 4b, all playing a key role in the structure stabilization and its extension to further dimensions. Variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements have shown that 1-4 exhibit a moderately strong ferromagnetic coupling through the alkoxo bridge. The small Cu-O-Cu bridging angle and the large out-of-plane displacement of the carbon atom of the alkoxo group accounts for this behavior. The magnetic data have been analyzed by means of a dinuclear and a 1D chain model, and the magnetic parameters have been determined. The magnetic exchange coupling in 3, to our knowledge, is the highest found in alkoxo-bridged copper(II) complexes.     

Alkoxy-1,3,5-triazapentadien(e/ato) copper(II) complexes: template formation and applications for the preparation of pyrimidines and as catalysts for oxidation of alcohols to carbonyl products

Template combination of copper acetate (Cu(AcO)₂?H₂O) with sodium dicyanamide (NaN(C≡N)₂, 2 equiv) or cyanoguanidine (N≡CNHC(=NH)NH₂, 2 equiv) and an alcohol ROH (used also as solvent) leads to the neutral copper(II)–(2,4‐alkoxy‐1,3,5‐triazapentadienato) complexes [Cu{NH?C(OR)NC(OR)?NH}₂] (R=Me ( 1 ), Et ( 2 ), nPr ( 3 ), iPr ( 4 ), CH₂CH₂OCH₃ ( 5 )) or cationic copper(II)–(2‐alkoxy‐4‐amino‐1,3,5‐triazapentadiene) complexes [Cu{NH?C(OR)NHC(NH₂)?NH}₂](AcO)₂ (R=Me ( 6 ), Et ( 7 ), nPr ( 8 ), nBu ( 9 ), CH₂CH₂OCH₃ ( 10 )), respectively. Several intermediates of this reaction were isolated and a pathway was proposed. The deprotonation of 6 – 10 with NaOH allows their transformation to the corresponding neutral triazapentadienates [Cu{NH?C(OR)NC(NH₂)?NH}₂] 11 – 15 . Reaction of 11 , 12 or 15 with acetyl acetone (MeC(?O)CH₂C(?O)Me) leads to liberation of the corresponding pyrimidines NC(Me)CHC(Me)NC NHC(?NH)OR, whereas the same treatment of the cationic complexes 6 , 7 or 10 allows the corresponding metal‐free triazapentadiene salts {NH₂C(OR)?NC(NH₂)?NH₂}(OAc) to be isolated. The alkoxy‐1,3,5‐triazapentadiene/ato copper(II) complexes have been applied as efficient catalysts for the TEMPO radical‐mediated mild aerobic oxidation of alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes (molar yields of aldehydes of up to 100 % with >99 % selectivity) and for the solvent‐free microwave‐assisted synthesis of ketones from secondary alcohols with tert‐butylhydroperoxide as oxidant (yields of up to 97 %, turnover numbers of up to 485 and turnover frequencies of up to 1170 h^?1).     

Self-assembled 3D heterometallic Cu(II)/Fe(II) coordination polymers with octahedral net skeletons: structural features, molecular magnetism, thermal and oxidation catalytic properties

The new three-dimensional (3D) heterometallic Cu(II)/Fe(II) coordination polymers [Cu(6)(H(2)tea)(6)Fe(CN)(6)](n)(NO(3))(2n)·6nH(2)O (1) and [Cu(6)(Hmdea)(6)Fe(CN)(6)](n)(NO(3))(2n)·7nH(2)O (2) have been easily generated by aqueous-medium self-assembly reactions of copper(II) nitrate with triethanolamine or N-methyldiethanolamine (H(3)tea or H(2)mdea, respectively), in the presence of potassium ferricyanide and sodium hydroxide. They have been isolated as air-stable crystalline solids and fully characterized including by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. The latter reveal the formation of 3D metal-organic frameworks that are constructed from the [Cu(2)(μ-H(2)tea)(2)](2+) or [Cu(2)(μ-Hmdea)(2)](2+) nodes and the octahedral [Fe(CN)(6)](4-) linkers, featuring regular (1) or distorted (2) octahedral net skeletons. Upon dehydration, both compounds show reversible escape and binding processes toward water or methanol molecules. Magnetic susceptibility measurements of 1 and 2 reveal strong antiferromagnetic [J = -199(1) cm(-1)] or strong ferromagnetic [J = +153(1) cm(-1)] couplings between the copper(II) ions through the μ-O-alkoxo atoms in 1 or 2, respectively. The differences in magnetic behavior are explained in terms of the dependence of the magnetic coupling constant on the Cu-O-Cu bridging angle. Compounds 1 and 2 also act as efficient catalyst precursors for the mild oxidation of cyclohexane by aqueous hydrogen peroxide to cyclohexanol and cyclohexanone (homogeneous catalytic system), leading to maximum total yields (based on cyclohexane) and turnover numbers (TONs) up to about 22% and 470, respectively.