Copper Soaps Formation in Verdigris-Linseed Oil Painting Mixtures: A Multispectroscopic Characterization

Copper acetate (also known as verdigris) is a bimetallic Cu(II) greenish pigment widely used in oil paintings. Since ancient times, this pigment has been known as a degradation-prone compound, especially when combined with lipidic binders. However, the degradation mechanism and the involved species have not yet been disclosed. In this article, we study verdigris interactions with linseed oil in painting mock-ups, stressing out the formation of copper-based complexes and proposing reaction routes. Such complex systems are studied by applying a complementary multispectroscopic approach: a combination of continuous-wave (CW) electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM), and Raman and attenuated total reflection (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopies. Based on the experimental evidence, we propose the following mechanism: the neutral copper acetate shifts to a basic verdigris-promoting triglyceride hydrolysis, aided by the coordination of Cu(II) cations toward the carboxylic functions. The increased amount of free fatty acids in the mixtures triggers the formation of monomeric Cu(II) complexes. Afterward, the oil polymerization reaction occurs, and secondary oxidation species, containing OH groups in the alkyl chain, act as further ligands for copper nuclei. This is the first time, to the best of our knowledge, that a comprehensive view is proposed.

N-heterocyclic carbene-mediated oxidation of copper(I) in an imidazolium ionic liquid

The aerobic oxidation of copper(I) to copper(II) was studied in the ionic liquid (IL) 1-n-butyl-3-methylimidazolium acetate [BMIm][OAc]. Temperatures above 100 °C promote the deprotonation of the C2 atom of the imidazolium ring and the dissolution of CuCl. 1H and 13C NMR spectra indicate the formation of the N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) complex [NHC] CuICl under inert conditions. Upon aerobic oxidation, air-stable blue-green crystals of [BMIm]2[CuII 2(OAc)4Cl2] precipitate in high yield and the NHC is recovered. X-ray diffraction on a single-crystal of the complex salt revealed a monoclinic structure with space group P21/n. The centrosymmetric dinuclear acetate complex [Cu2(OAc)4Cl2]2– has the paddle-wheel motif and is weakly paramagnetic.

Cu(II) carboxylate arene C─H functionalization: Tuning for nonradical pathways

We report carbon-hydrogen acetoxylation of nondirected arenes benzene and toluene, as well as related functionalization with pivalate and 2-ethylhexanoate ester groups, using simple copper(II) [Cu(II)] salts with over 80% yield. By changing the ratio of benzene and Cu(II) salts, 2.4% conversion of benzene can be reached. Combined experimental and computational studies results indicate that the arene carbon-hydrogen functionalization likely occurs by a nonradical Cu(II)-mediated organometallic pathway. The Cu(II) salts used in the reaction can be isolated, recycled, and reused with little change in reactivity. In addition, the Cu(II) salts can be regenerated in situ using oxygen and, after the removal of the generated water, the arene carbon-hydrogen acetoxylation and related esterification reactions can be continued, which leads to a process that enables recycling of Cu(II).

Silica-Supported Copper (II) Oxide Cluster via Ball Milling Method for Catalytic Combustion of Ethyl Acetate

Highly dispersed CuO/SiO2 catalysts were successfully synthesized by a green process of ball milling (BM) under solvent-free and room temperature conditions. The structural evolution of CuO/SiO2 catalysts prepared by BM was elucidated by TG-DSC, XRD, FT-IR, and XPS characterizations. We found that the copper acetate precursor was dispersed over the layer of copper phyllosilicate which was formed by reacting between the copper acetate precursor and the silica support during the BM process. The copper phyllosilicate layer over the support might play an important role in the stabilization of the CuO cluster (<2 nm) during thermal pretreatment. The 15% CuO/SiO2 catalyst exhibited the best catalytic activity for the catalytic combustion of ethyl acetate as it owned a highest active surface area of CuO among the CuO/SiO2 catalysts with different copper loadings.

La- and Lu-agardite – preparation, crystal structure, vibrational and magnetic properties

Polycrystalline samples of La- and Lu-agardite with the composition RECu6(OH)6(AsO4)3 · n H2O (RE = La, Lu; n≈3) have been prepared and the structure of the products was determined by X-ray powder diffraction studies. The characterization has been complemented by Raman and UV/Vis spectroscopic, magnetic and TGA investigations. DFT calculations support the conclusions drawn from the experiments. The arsenates RECu6(OH)6(AsO4)3 · n H2O (RE = La, Lu; n≈3) are isostructural with the mineral mixite and crystallize with a hexagonal structure which contains ribbons of edge-sharing [CuO5] square-pyramids extending along the hexagonal axis. They are interconnected via (AsO4)3− groups to form hexagonal tubes of about 10 Å inner diameter. Such zeolite-like tubes host water molecules, which can be reversibly removed at moderate temperatures (T≈100°C). Like in mixite and YCu6(OH)6(AsO4)3 · 3 H2O, the Cu2+ cations in RECu6(OH)6(AsO4)3 · n H2O (RE = La, Lu; n≈3) exhibit low-dimensional antiferromagnetic properties, which are subject to changes in the Cu–O–Cu bond lengths and angles due to the lanthanide contraction.