Two Cu(I) complexes constructed by different N-heterocyclic benzoxazole ligands: Syntheses, structures and fluorescent properties

Syntheses, characterization, crystal structures and applications as sensitizers in solar cells of novel heteroleptic Cu(I) complexes containing nitrile-substituted 2,2'-bipyridyl ligands

Two novel Cu(I) tetradentate heteroleptic complexes, including nitrile-substituted bipyridines that can be anchored to semiconductor surfaces to be assembled in DSSCs, were synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic and electrochemical techniques. The crystal structures of both species were determined by X-ray diffraction. Results from DFT and TD-DFT calculations were found to be consistent with the experimental data. Emission at room temperature was observed for both complexes in the solid state, making them promising alternatives for the development of light-emitting diodes. We report for the first time the experimental evidence of photovoltaic conversion devices formed by Cu(I) complexes anchored to a TiO2 surface by means of nitrile groups present in substituted bipyridines, and subsequently tested as sensitizers for DSSCs, obtaining efficiency values for light to electrical energy conversion similar to those previously reported for analogous complexes with anchoring carboxylic groups.

Synthesis of a chiral dinuclear Cu(II)-benzothiazolamine complex: evidence of cuprophilic interaction in its structure and exploration of its electrochemical properties and catalytic performance

The synthesis of a chiral dinuclear [Cu(OAc)2(L1)]2 complex (A) and its analogues Cu(OAc)2(L1)2 (B), Cu(OAc)2(L1)PPh3 (C), CuBr(L1)PPh3 (D), and Cu(OAc)2(L2) (E) is described. The X-ray structure of A reveals a cuprophilic interaction (2.65 Å) and shows that L1 behaves as a monodentate ligand. The stereogenic centre in L1 aligns the NH group to form non-covalent interactions with the paddle-wheel acetate groups at variable distances (2.4-2.5 Å and 2.2-2.7 Å). Thermogravimetric analysis confirmed our hypothesis that two equivalents of L1 (B) or a combination of L1 and PPh3 (C) would disrupt the cuprophilic interaction. All complexes, except D, showed irreversible redox waves by cyclic voltammetry. Complexes C and E have lower oxidative peaks (at 10 V s-1) than complex A between +0.40 and +0.60 V. This highlights the influence of ligand(s) on the redox behaviour of Cu(II) complexes. The significance of this electrochemical behaviour was evident in the Chan-Lam (CL) coupling reaction, where 2.5 mol% of A successfully facilitated the formation of a C-N bond. This study showcased the structure, thermal stability, electrochemical properties and catalytic performance of a chiral dinuclear copper(II)-benzothiazolamine complex.

Photoactive Copper Complexes: Properties and Applications

Photocatalyzed and photosensitized chemical processes have seen growing interest recently and have become among the most active areas of chemical research, notably due to their applications in fields such as medicine, chemical synthesis, material science or environmental chemistry. Among all homogeneous catalytic systems reported to date, photoactive copper(I) complexes have been shown to be especially attractive, not only as alternative to noble metal complexes, and have been extensively studied and utilized recently. They are at the core of this review article which is divided into two main sections. The first one focuses on an exhaustive and comprehensive overview of the structural, photophysical and electrochemical properties of mononuclear copper(I) complexes, typical examples highlighting the most critical structural parameters and their impact on the properties being presented to enlighten future design of photoactive copper(I) complexes. The second section is devoted to their main areas of application (photoredox catalysis of organic reactions and polymerization, hydrogen production, photoreduction of carbon dioxide and dye-sensitized solar cells), illustrating their progression from early systems to the current state-of-the-art and showcasing how some limitations of photoactive copper(I) complexes can be overcome with their high versatility.

Visible-emitting Cu(i) complexes with N-functionalized benzotriazole-based ligands

Bidentate benzotriazole-based N-ligands are suited for the preparation of luminescent heteroleptic copper(i) complexes with noticeable emissions related to 3MLCT transitions.

Experimental and Theoretical DFT Study of Cu(I)/N,N-Disubstituted-N'-acylthioureato Anticancer Complexes: Actin Cytoskeleton and Induction of Death by Apoptosis in Triple-Negative Breast Tumor Cells

Six complexes with the general formula [Cu(acylthioureato)(PPh₃)₂] were synthesized and characterized using spectroscopic techniques (IR, UV/visible, and 1D and 2D NMR), mass spectrometry, elemental analysis, and X-ray diffraction. Interpretation of the in vitro cytotoxicity data of Cu(I) complexes took into account their stability in cell culture medium. DFT calculations showed that NMR properties, such as the shielding of carbon atoms, are affected by relativistic effects, supported by the ZORA Hamiltonian in the theoretical calculations. Additionally, the calculation of the energies of the frontier molecular orbitals predicted that the structural changes of the acylthiourea ligands did not cause marked changes in the reactivity descriptors. All complexes were cytotoxic to the evaluated tumor cell lines [MDA-MB-231 (triple-negative breast cancer, TNBC), MCF-7 (breast cancer), and A549 (lung cancer)]. In the MDA-MB-231 cell line, complex 1 significantly altered the cytoskeleton of the cells, reducing the density and promoting the condensation of F-actin filaments. In addition, the compound caused an increase in the percentage of cells in the fragmented DNA region (sub-G0) and induced cell death via the apoptotic pathway starting at the IC₅₀ concentration. Taken together, the results show that complex 1 has cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on TNBC cells, which is a cell line originating from an aggressive, difficult-to-treat breast cancer.

Electrochemical sensing of hydrogen peroxide on a carbon paste electrode modified by a silver complex based on the 1,3-bis(1H-benzimidazole-2-yl)propane ligand

A new carbon paste electrode (Ag-CPE) modified with a nitrogen heterocyclic silver(I) complex, [Ag2(BBP)2](pic)2·CH3OH (BBP = 1,3-bis(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)propane, pic = picrate), was developed as a highly sensitive and simple electrochemical sensor for the determination of hydrogen peroxide. The Ag(I) complex was prepared by an interface reaction and characterized by elemental analysis, IR and UV/Vis spectra and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The Ag(I) complex shows a dinuclear cluster structure, which is formed by two BBP ligands bridging two Ag (I) centers and an Ag–Ag interaction (d Ag–Ag = 3.0875 Å). Cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry studies showed that the electrochemical sensing performance of Ag-CPE for H2O2 was improved in 0.2 m phosphate buffer solution (PBS, pH = 6). The electrochemical H2O2 sensor Ag-CPE exhibits a wide linear detection range from 0.5 to 4.0 mm and a lower detection limit of 0.39 μm with a relatively high sensitivity of 6.77 μA mm −1. Moreover, the sensor also shows good anti-interference properties and stability. The results prove that the Ag(I) complex based on the bis(benzimidazole) ligand may be an efficient component of electrode materials.

Synthesis, structure, fluorescence, and electrochemical properties of a binuclear Ag(I) complex with 1,4-bis(benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)butane as a ligand

Reaction of 1,4-bis(benzo[d]oxazol-2-yl)butane (BBO) with [Ag(CH3CN)4(ClO4)] afforded a new binuclear silver(I) complex, with composition [Ag2(BBO)2(ClO4)2], characterized by elemental analysis, UV/Vis and IR spectroscopy, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The results show that the Ag(I) complex consists of a centrosymmetric dimetallacyclic structure assembled from two Ag(I) atoms and two bridging BBO ligands. The coordination environment of silver(I) complex can be described as distorted trigonal planar, with one oxygen atom from a perchlorate anion and two nitrogen atoms from two BBO ligands. The luminescence properties of the ligand and the Ag(I) complex were studied in the solid state. The emission peaks of the Ag(I) complex are attributed to ligand-centered transitions. There is no effect of the complexation except for a partial quenching. The cyclic voltammograms of the Ag(I) complex indicated an irreversible Ag+/Ag couple.

A Highly Water-Soluble Fluorescent and Colorimetric pH Probe

A new 5-(4-((2-(benzothiazole-2-carbonyl)hydrazono)methyl)-3-hydroxyphenoxy)-N,N,N-trimethylpentan-1-aminium bromide (BTABr) fluorescent and colorimetric pH probe was easily synthesized by the condensation reaction of benzothiazole-2-carbohydrazide with 5-(4-formyl-3-hydroxyphenoxy)-N,N,N-trimethylpentan-1-aminium bromide. The benzothiazole moiety provided the emissive part of the molecule and the charged trimethyl amino group guaranteed outstanding solubility in water, for an organic molecule. pH titration experiments indicated that the probe is useful for monitoring acidic and alkaline solutions, turning reversibly in color/fluorescence just at a neutral pH value. Naked-eye colorimetric response was observed both in solution and in the solid state. In addition, the probe showed high stability and selectivity and large Stokes shifts. Because of these features, BTABr can potentially work as an on-off real-time pH sensor for intracellular pH imaging. The crystal structure of BTABr examined by single-crystal analysis showed a planar geometry of the molecule and confirmed the presence of a molecular stacking between molecules joined in a complex tridimensional hydrogen bonding pattern.