Synthesis, spectral characterization, properties and structures of copper(I) complexes containing novel bidentate iminopyridine ligands

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.

Copper-mediated reduction of azides under seemingly oxidising conditions: catalytic and computational studies

The reduction of aryl azides in the presence of water and air and without an obvious reducing agent is reported.

Effect of the N-based ligands in copper complexes for depolymerisation of lignin

Several organic soluble N-based ligands and their copper complexes were firstly investigated as catalysts to depolymerise organosolv lignin in the organic solvent, dimethylformamide (DMF) and an ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium xylenesulfonate, [emim][ABS]).

Synthesis and spectral characterization of Schiff base complexes of Cu(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and VO(IV) containing 4-(4-aminophenyl)morpholine derivatives: antimicrobial evaluation and anticancer studies

Metal(II) chelates of Schiff bases derived from the condensation of 4-morpholinoaniline with substituted salicylaldehyde have been prepared and characterized by (1)H NMR, IR, electronic, EPR, and magnetic measurement studies. The complexes are of the type M(X-MPMP)2 [where M=Cu(II), Co(II)), Zn(II), or VO(IV); MPMP=2-[(4 morpholinophenyl imino) methyl] 4-X-phenol, X=Cl, (L1H), X=Br (L2H)]. Single crystal X-ray crystallography studies confirm the structure of newly synthesized Schiff bases. The Schiff bases act as bidentate monobasic ligands, coordinating through deprotonated phenolic oxygen and azomethine nitrogen atoms. The free ligands and metal complexes are screened for their biopotency. Metal complexes exhibit better activity than ligands. Anticancer activity of ligands and their metal complexes are evaluated in human heptocarcinoma(HepG2) cells. The preliminary bioassay indicates that the Schiff base and its zinc complex exhibit inhibitory activity against the human gastric cancer cell lines.

Synthesis and Electrochemical Studies of Nickel β-Diketonate Complexes Incorporating Asymmetric Diimine Ligands

The reaction of ppaX {(4-X-phenyl)-pyridin-2-ylmethylene-amine; X = H, Me, Et, OMe, F, Cl, Br, and I} with [Ni(β-diketonate)2(H2O)2] {β-diketonate = 1,3-diphenylpropanedionate (dbm), 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptadionate (tmhd), or hexafluoroacetylacetonate (hfac)} yields a series of nickel complexes. X-ray crystallography reveals octahedral coordinated nickel centres with a cis arrangement of the β-diketonate ligands. The β-diketonate ligands adopt ‘planar’ or ‘bent’ coordination modes, whereas the aryl ring of the ppaX ligand is twisted with respect to the pyridylimine unit. The electrochemical behaviour of the complexes reveals quasi-reversible or irreversible one-electron oxidation to Ni(iii) in the case of the [Ni(tmhd)2(ppaX)] and [Ni(dbm)2(ppaX)] complexes, respectively. The peak potential for oxidation is dependent on the type of β-diketonate ligand but essentially independent of the substituent, X, on the ppaX ligand. The [Ni(β-diketonate)2(ppaX)] complexes (X = F, Cl, Br, and I) also undergo ligand based reduction.

Mononuclear [(BP)(2)MX](n+) (M = Cu(2+), Co(2+), Zn(2+); X = OH(2), Cl(-)) complexes with a new biphenyl appended N-bidentate ligand: structural, spectroscopic, solution equilibrium and ligand dynamic studies

A new series of five-coordinate [(BP)2MX]n+ complexes, (where X = OH2, M = Zn(II) (1), Cu(II) (2); X = Cl-, M = Cu(II) (3), Co(II) (4)) with a new bidentate chelating ligand [{N,N(1,1'-biphenyl-2,2'-dimethylene)-N(2-pyridyl methyl)} amine] with a biphenyl group (BP), have been synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystal structure and combined spectroscopic methods. They display unique trigonal bipyramidal (TBP) geometry, influenced by the bidentate ligand. The Zn(II) complex 1 reveals ligand dynamics due to an atropisomeric biphenyl moiety as indicated by variable temperature (VT) proton NMR spectroscopy. The calculated free energy for the inversion of the bridged biphenyl is approximately 13.08 kcal mol-1 (Tc = 273 K, Delta(nu) = 82.8 Hz, J = 8.7 Hz). The absorption spectra of Cu(II) complexes 2 and 3, in CH2Cl2 display greatly enhanced d-d bands (800-950 nm, epsilon>500 M-1 cm-1). On the other hand, complex 2 in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) showed almost 50% reduction in absorption intensity as DMF, a coordinating solvent, displaces the weakly-coordinated tertiary amine-nitrogens of the ligand and this competitive binding was studied by electronic absorption spectroscopy. When the mononuclear copper aqua complex 2 was treated with a base, a dicopper dihydroxide complex, [{(BP)Cu}2(mu-OH)2]2+, (2a) was obtained. The same phenomenon was also observed with chloro complex 3 when treated with a base. This mono-dicopper equilibrium and conversion of 2 --> 2a was monitored by UV-vis spectroscopy. Copper(II) complexes 2 and 3 displayed reverse EPR spectra consistent with the TBP geometry. Cyclic voltammetry of 2 and 3 in DMF showed an irreversible redox wave owing to Cu(II)/Cu(I) of five and four-coordinate species. The solution magnetic moment values of 1.76, 1.81 and 4.47 microB for 2, 3 and 4, respectively, are in agreement with Cu(II) (S = 1/2) and Co(II) (S = 3/2) high-spin configurations. The 1H NMR of 4 displays sharp but hyperfine shifted signals for the ligand protons between -30 to +220 ppm. The ESI-mass data complement the data obtained from X-ray structure.