Thermal and photochemical reactions of copper(II) dithiocarbamate mixed-ligand complexes with chloroalkanes

Thermal and/or photochemical conversion of a series of copper(II) complexes containing mixed dithiocarbamato–alcohol ligands, Cu^II(Et₂dtc)⁺ . . . Y⁻ (Y=ClO₄⁻, NO₃⁻), into Cu^II(Et₂dtc)Cl in chloroalkane/alcohol solutions, where chloroalkane=CCl₄, CHCl₃ or CH₂Cl₂ and alcohol=MeOH, EtOH or i-BuOH, proceeds in chloroalkanes. Both reactions follow a similar pathway which is more effective the stronger the acceptor properties of chloroalkanes and the weaker the coordinating abilities of alcohols are. A detailed reaction mechanism is proposed which well fits the experimental results obtained by EPR and UV–VIS spectra and quantum yields.