Cyclic voltammetric studies of copper(II) amino acid complexes: electrochemical evidence for the generation of copper(I) complex as an intermediate

The reduction of the title complexes is studied by cyclic voltammetry in aqueous media. It proceeds through a one-electron process generating the corresponding copper(I) amino acid complexes. The reduced copper(I) species undergo chemical reactions generating Cu(O) at the mercury electrode. The unreacted fraction of the copper(I) species is re-oxidised to the copper(II) complexes. The Cu(O) generated undergo a two-electron oxidation to Cu²⁺ at less cathodic potentials which get reduced to Cu(O) subsequently. pH-dependence of these complexes is also investigated.