Mono-and bis(guanidine) ligands stabilise bis-μ-oxido dicopper(III) complexes. Here, the formation of these complexes has been investigated in detail by means of lowtemperature stopped-flow techniques for the monoguanidine 2-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (TMGdmap) and the related bis(guanidine) 1,3-bis(N,N,N′,N′-tetramethylguanidino)propane (btmgp). Low-temperature IR studies in solution support the formation of bis-μ-oxido complexes. For both systems, no intermediates on the pathways to the bis-μ-oxido complexes could be detected; this has been explained through extensive DFT calculations. In the first step,

The enzyme tyrosinase contains a reactive side‐on peroxo dicopper(II) center as catalytically active species in C−H oxygenation reactions. The tyrosinase activity of the isomeric bis(μ‐oxo) dicopper(III) form has been discussed controversially. The synthesis of bis(μ‐oxo) dicopper(III) species [Cu2(μ‐O)2(L1)2](X)2 ([O1](X)2, X=PF6−, BF4−, OTf−, ClO4−), stabilized by the new hybrid guanidine ligand 2‐{2‐((dimethylamino)methyl)phenyl}‐1,1,3,3‐tetramethylguanidine (L1), and its characterization by UV/Vis, Raman, and XAS spectroscopy, as well as cryo‐UHR‐ESI mass spectrometry, is described. We highlight selective oxygenation of a plethora of phenolic substrates mediated by [O1](PF6)2, which results in mono‐ and bicyclic quinones and provides an attractive strategy for designing new phenazines. The selectivity is predicted by using the Fukui function, which is hereby introduced into tyrosinase model chemistry. Our bioinspired catalysis harnesses molecular dioxygen for organic transformations and achieves a substrate diversity reaching far beyond the scope of the enzyme.

Bis(pyrazolyl)methane ligands are excellent components of model complexes used to investigate the activity of the enzyme tyrosinase. Combining the N donors 3-tert-butylpyrazole and 1-methylimidazole results in a ligand that is capable of stabilising a (μ-η(2) :η(2) )-dicopper(II) core that resembles the active centre of tyrosinase. UV/Vis spectroscopy shows blueshifted UV bands in comparison to other known peroxo complexes, due to donor competition from different ligand substituents. This effect was investigated with the help of theoretical calculations, including DFT and natural transition orbital analysis. The peroxo complex acts as a catalyst capable of hydroxylating a variety of phenols by using oxygen. Catalytic conversion with the non-biological phenolic substrate 8-hydroxyquinoline resulted in remarkable turnover numbers. In stoichiometric reactions, substrate-binding kinetics was observed and the intrinsic hydroxylation constant, kox , was determined for five phenolates. It was found to be the fastest hydroxylation model system determined so far, reaching almost biological activity. Furthermore, Hammett analysis proved the electrophilic character of the reaction. This sheds light on the subtle role of donor strength and its influence on hydroxylation activity.

For the first time the formation and decay of the thermally very sensitive bis(μ-oxo)dicopper species was monitored at ambient temperature in a continuous flow setup and the rate constant of the decay was measured.