Oxazolidine copper complexes: Synthesis,characterization and superoxide dismutase activity of copper(II) complexes with oxazolidine ligands derived from hydroxyquinoline carboxaldehyde

This work describes the synthesis of copper(II) complexes, their identification using spectroscopic and electrochemical methods, structural characterization with X‐ray diffraction and density functional theory calculations (DFT), as well as their catalytic activity mimicking that of superoxide dismutase. Structural analysis revealed the formation of complexes with cyclization of ligands L1 and L2 with the formation of a heterocycle, 1,3‐oxazolidine. The DFT calculations confirmed this trend by stabilizing with lower energy. In addition, evaluations of mimetic enzymatic activity of complexes C1, C2, C3 and C4 revealed promising IC₅₀ values compared to other results seen in the literature (IC₅₀ = 0.22, 0.328, 0.55 and 0.92). Also, calf thymus DNA interactive experiments using UV–visible spectroscopy were conducted in the presence of the copper(II) complexes.