The first systematic studies on the oxidation of neutral phenols (ArOH) by the mu-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxo)dicopper(II) complex (A) and the bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex (B) supported by the 2-(2-pyridyl)ethylamine tridentate and didentate ligands L(Py2) and L(Py1), respectively, have been carried out in order to get insight into the phenolic O-H bond activation mechanism by metal-oxo species. In both cases (A and B), the C-C coupling dimer was obtained as a solely isolable product in approximately 50% yield base on the dicopper-dioxygen (Cu(2)/O(2)) complexes, suggesting that both A and B act as electron-transfer oxidants for the phenol oxidation. The rate-dependence in the oxidation of phenols by the Cu(2)/O(2) complexes on the one-electron oxidation potentials of the phenol substrates as well as the kinetic deuterium isotope effects obtained using ArOD have indicated that the reaction involves a proton-coupled electron transfer (PCET) mechanism. The reactivity of phenols for net hydrogen atom transfer reactions to cumylperoxyl radical (C) has also been investigated to demonstrate that the rate-dependence of the reaction on the one-electron oxidation potentials of the phenols is significantly smaller than that of the reaction with the Cu(2)O(2) complexes, indicative of the direct hydrogen atom transfer mechanism (HAT). Thus, the results unambiguously confirmed that the oxidation of phenols by the Cu(2)O(2) complex proceeds via the PCET mechanism rather than the HAT mechanism involved in the cumylperoxyl radical system. The reactivity difference between A and B has also been discussed by taking account of the existed fast equilibrium between A and B.

A discrete (mu-eta2:eta2-peroxo)Cu(II)2 complex, [Cu2(O2)(H-L)]2+, is capable of performing not only intramolecular hydroxylation of a m-xylyl linker of a dinucleating ligand but also intermolecular epoxidation of styrene via electrophilic reaction to the C=C bond and hydroxylation of THF by H-atom abstraction.

HUDSON, R.; HAMASAKA, G.; OSAKO, T.; YAMADA, Y. M. A.; LI, C.-J.; UOZUMI, Y.; MOORES*, A.; Green Chem. 15 (

Ein einkerniger (η2‐Peroxo)kupfer(II)‐Komplex entsteht bei der Reaktion von H2O2 mit einem Kupfer(II)‐Komplex, der durch einen dreizähnigen Pyridylethylaminliganden stabilisiert ist (siehe Schema). Die Bildung dieser ungewöhnlichen Zwischenstufe kann bei −90 °C durch EPR‐ und UV/Vis‐Spektroskopie verfolgt werden.

Structure and physicochemical properties of copper(I) complexes of the tridentate ligands L(2) (N,N-bis[2-(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)ethyl]phenethylamine) and L(3) (N,N-bis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-beta-methylphenethylamine) have been examined to obtain deeper insights into modulation of the coordination chemistry of copper(I) complexes. [Cu(I)(L(2))(CH(3)CN)](ClO(4)) (2.CH(3)CN) has a distorted tetrahedral geometry, which consists of three nitrogen atoms of the ligand and one nitrogen atom of the bound CH(3)CN. Steric repulsion between the 6-methyl group on the pyridine nucleus of L(2) and the metal ion of the complex prevents the cuprous complex from adaptation to a three-coordinate geometry which must have a shorter Cu-N(pyridine) distance ( approximately 1.88 A). Thus, the four-coordinate copper(I) complex (2.CH(3)CN) with a longer Cu-N bond (1.98 approximately 2.13 A) becomes favorable, resulting in rather strong binding of CH(3)CN to the metal ion. In [Cu(I)(L(3))](ClO(4)) (3), there is a Cu(I)-pi interaction between the cuprous ion and the phenyl group of the ligand sidearm. Such a copper(I)-arene interaction is essentially weak, but is significantly stabilized in complex 3. The methyl group at the benzylic position of L(3)() reduces the degree of freedom of sidearm rotation to make the phenyl group stick on the cuprous ion. Thus, the reactivity of the copper(I) complexes of L(2) and L(3) toward dioxygen is significantly diminished, showing sharp contrast to the high reactivity of the copper(I) complex supported by a similar tridentate ligand L(1) (N,N-bis[2-(2-pyridiyl)ethyl]phenethylamine).

Ligand effects on the structures and redox reactivities of copper complexes have been examined using (2-pyridyl)alkylamine derivatives as the supporting ligands, where particular attention has been focused on the effects of the alkyl linker chain length connecting the tertiary amine nitrogen atom and the pyridine nucleus: N[bond]CH(2)[bond]Py (Pym) vs N[bond]CH(2)CH(2)[bond]Py (Pye). X-ray crystallographic analysis of the copper(I) complex of tridentate ligand (Phe)L(Pym2) [N,N-di(2-pyridylmethyl)-2-phenylethylamine] (complex 1) has demonstrated that it possesses a trigonal pyramidal geometry in which a d[bond]pi interaction with an eta(1)-binding mode exists between the metal ion and one of the ortho carbons of the phenyl ring of the ligand side arm (phenethyl). The result shows sharp contrast to the d[bond]pi interaction with an eta(2)-binding mode existing in the copper(I) complex of (Phe)L(Pye2) [N,N-di[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-2-phenethylamine] (complex 2). Such a d-pi interaction has been shown to affect the stability of the copper(I) complex in CH(2)Cl(2). Oxygenation of copper(I) complex 1 supported by (Phe)L(Pym2) produces a bis(mu-oxo)dicopper(III) complex, also being in sharp contrast to the case of the copper(I) complex 2 with ligand (Phe)L(Pye2), which preferentially affords a (micro-eta(2):eta(2)-peroxo)dicopper(II) complex in the reaction with O(2). Such an effect of the alkyl linker chain length of the metal binding site has also been found to operate in the RSSR (disulfide)/2RS(-) (thiolate) redox system. Namely, ligand (S2,R)L(Pym1) (di[2-[(alkyl)(2-pyridinylmethyl)amino]ethyl] disulfide) with the methylene linker group (Pym) induced the reductive disulfide bond cleavage in the reaction with copper(I) ion to give a bis(micro-thiolato)dicopper(II) complex, while the ligand with the ethylene linker group (Pye), (S2,Bn)L(Pye1) (di[2-[(benzyl)(2-(2-pyridinyl)ethyl)amino]ethyl] disulfide), gave a disulfide-dicopper(I) complex. These ligand effects in the Cu(2)[bond]O(2) and Cu(2)[bond]S(2) systems have been discussed by taking into account the difference in electron-donor ability of the pyridine nucleus between the Pym and Pye ligand systems.

The structure and dioxygen-reactivity of copper(I) complexes R supported by N,N-bis(6-methylpyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine tridentate ligands L2R[R (N-alkyl substituent)=-CH2Ph (Bn), -CH2CH2Ph (Phe) and -CH2CHPh2(PhePh)] have been examined and compared with those of copper(I) complex (Phe) of N,N-bis[2-(pyridin-2-yl)ethyl]amine tridentate ligand L1(Phe) and copper(I) complex (Phe) of N,N-bis(pyridin-2-ylmethyl)amine tridentate ligand L3(Phe). Copper(I) complexes (Phe) and (PhePh) exhibited a distorted trigonal pyramidal structure involving a d-pi interaction with an eta1-binding mode between the metal ion and one of the ortho-carbon atoms of the phenyl group of the N-alkyl substituent [-CH2CH2Ph (Phe) and -CH2CHPh2(PhePh)]. The strength of the d-pi interaction in (Phe) and (PhePh) was weaker than that of the d-pi interaction with an eta2-binding mode in (Phe) but stronger than that of the eta1 d-pi interaction in (Phe). Existence of a weak d-pi interaction in (Bn) in solution was also explored, but its binding mode was not clear. Redox potentials of the copper(I) complexes (E1/2) were also affected by the supporting ligand; the order of E1/2 was Phe>R>Phe. Thus, the order of electron-donor ability of the ligand is L1Phe

A highly enantioposition-selective copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) of dialkynes bearing prochiral biaryls has been developed for the construction of 1,2,3-triazoles bearing axially chiral biaryl groups in up to 76% yield and up to 99% ee.