Determination of the structures of antiinflammatory copper(II) dimers of indomethacin by multiple-scattering analyses of X-ray absorption fine structure data

Copper K-edge X-ray absorption spectroscopic (XAS) measurements were recorded for the veterinary antiinflammatory Cu(II) complexes of indomethacin (1-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-5-methoxy-2-methyl-1H-indole-3-acetic acid = IndoH), of the general formula [Cu(2)(Indo)(4)L(2)] (L = N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMA), N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), and water), and [Cu(2)(OAc)(4)(OH(2))(2)] at room temperature and 10 K. The bond lengths and bridging O-C-O angles of the dimeric Cu(II) cage (Cu(2)O(10)C(8)) obtained from the multiple-scattering (MS) fitting of the X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) using a centrosymmetric model of [Cu(2)(Indo)(4)(DMF)(2)] gave Cu.Cu = 2.62(2) A, mean Cu-O(Ac) = 1.95(2) A, Cu-O(L) = 2.15(2) A, bridging O-C-O = 125(1) degrees, Cu displacement from plane 0.19 A compared with the XRD data Cu.Cu = 2.630(1) A, mean Cu-O(Ac) = 1.959 A, Cu-O(L) = 2.143(5) A, bridging O-C-O angles = 123.2(5) degrees, Cu displacement from plane 0.20 A. The excellent agreement between the XAFS- and XRD-derived data allowed the structures of related [Cu(2)(Indo)(4)L(2)] (L = DMA, NMP) complexes to be determined. All display a similar Cu(2)O(10)C(8) coordination geometry, which is independent of the nature of the axial ligand. While XAFS analysis of [Cu(2)(Indo)(4)(OH(2))(2)] and [Cu(2)(OAc)(4)(OH(2))(2)] indicates a coordination geometry similar to that of [Cu(2)(Indo)(4)L(2)] (L = DMF, DMA, NMP), removal of symmetry restraints in the MS model is required to obtain axial bond lengths comparable to those derived in the XRD structures of the acetate complex. For the Indo complex, the fitted bond lengths with the lower symmetry model give a mean Cu-L(OH2) bond distance within experimental errors of the value for [Cu(2)(Indo)(4)(DMSO)(2)] (2.16(2) A) (XRD). The difficulty in refining the Cu-O(OH2) distance of [Cu(2)(OAc)(4)(OH(2))(2)] and [Cu(2)(Indo)(4)(OH(2))(2)] using a centrosymmetric MS model is attributed to a symmetry reduction due to hydrogen-bonding effects characteristic of the aqua adducts, as is observed in the XRD structure of the acetate complex.