Copper complexes and catalase-like activity of a polyelectrolyte derived from aspartic acid

Synthesis and Characterization of Cobalt(III), Nickel(II) and Copper(II) Mononuclear Complexes with the Ligand 1,3-bis[(2-aminoethyl)amino]-2-propanol and Their Catalase-Like Activity

In this work, we present the synthesis and characterization of two new mononuclear complexes with the ligand 1,3-bis[(2-aminoethyl)amino]-2-propanol (HL), [Co(L)(H2O)](ClO4)2 (1), [Ni(HL)](ClO4)2 (2), as well as the known complex [Cu(HL)](ClO4)2 (3) for comparison. Their abilities to catalyze the dismutation of H2O2 and the oxidation of cyclohexane were investigated. The complexes were characterized by X-ray diffraction, elemental analysis, electronic and infrared spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and conductivity measurements. The X-ray structures showed that the nickel (2) and copper (3) complexes are tetracoordinated, with the metal ion bound to the nitrogen atoms of the ligand. On the other hand, the cobalt complex (1) is hexacoordinated, possessing additional bonds to the alkoxo group of the ligand and to a water molecule. Neither of the complexes was able to catalyze the oxidation of cyclohexane, but all of them exhibited catalase-like activity, following Michaelis-Menten kinetics, which suggest resemblance with the catalase natural enzymes. The catalytic activity followed the order: [Ni(HL)](ClO4)2 (2) > [Cu(HL)](ClO4)2 (3) > [Co(L)(H2O)](ClO4)2 (1). As far as we know, this is the first description of a nickel complex presenting a significant catalase-like activity.

Kinetic Studies and Mechanism of Hydrogen Peroxide Catalytic Decomposition by Cu(II) Complexes with Polyelectrolytes Derived from L-Alanine and Glycylglycine

The catalytic decomposition of hydrogen peroxide by Cu(II) complexes with polymers bearing L-alanine (PAla) and glycylglycine (PGlygly) in their side chain was studied in alkaline aqueous media. The reactions were of pseudo-first order with respect to [H₂O₂] and [L-Cu(II)] (L stands for PAla or PGlygly) and the reaction rate was increased with pH increase. The energies of activation for the reactions were determined at pH 8.8, in a temperature range of 293–308 K. A suitable mechanism is proposed to account for the kinetic data, which involves the Cu(II)/Cu(I) redox pair, as has been demonstrated by ESR spectroscopy. The trend in catalytic efficiency is in the order PGlygly>PAla, due to differences in modes of complexation and in the conformation of the macromolecular ligands.