Dicopper(I) complexes of unsymmetrical binucleating ligands and their dioxygen reactivities

The design, synthesis, and characterization of binuclear copper(I) complexes and investigations of their dioxygen reactivities are of interest in understanding fundamental aspects of copper/O2 reactivity and in modeling copper enzyme active-site chemistry. In the latter regard, unsymmetrical binuclear systems are of interest. Here, we describe the chemistry of new unsymmetrical binuclear copper complexes, starting with the binucleating ligand UN2-H, possessing a m-xylyl moiety linking a bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]amine (PY2) tridentate chelator and a 2-[2-(methylamino)ethyl]pyridine bidentate group. Dicopper(I) complexes of UN2-H, [Cu2(UN2-H)]2+ (1), as PF6- and ClO4- salts, are synthesized. These react with O2 (Cu:O2 = 2:1, manometry) resulting in the hydroxylation of the xylyl moiety, producing the phenoxohydroxodicopper(II) complex [Cu2(UN2-O-)(OH-)(CH3 CN)]2+ (2). Compound 2(PF6)2 is characterized by X-ray crystallography, which reveals features similar to those of a structure described previously (Karlin, K. D.; et al. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1984, 106, 2121-2128) for a symmetrical binucleating analogue having two tridentate PY2 moieties; here a CH3CN ligand replaces one pyridylethyl arm. Isotope labeling from a reaction of 1 using 18O2 shows that the ligand UN2-OH, extracted from 2, possesses an 18O-labeled phenol oxygen atom. Thus, the transformation 1 + O2 → 2 represents a monooxygenase model system. [CuI2(UN2-OH) (CH3CN)]2+ (3), a new binuclear dicopper(I) complex with an unsymmetrical coordination environment is generated either by reduction of 2 with diphenylhydrazine or in reactions of cuprous salts with UN2-OH. Complex 3 reacts with O2 at -80 °C, producing the (μ-1,1-hydroperoxo)dicopper(II) complex [CuII2(UN2-O-)(OOH-)] 2+ (4) (λmax 390 nm (ε 4200 M-I cm-1), formulated on the basis of the stoichiometry of O2 uptake by 3 (Cu:O2 = 2:1, manometry), its reaction with PPh3 giving O=PPh3 (85%), and comparison to previously studied close analogues. Discussions include the relevance and comparison to other copper bioinorganic chemistry.