The relation between redox activity and coordination geometry in
CuIN4 complexes indicates that more flattened
structures tend to be more reactive. Such a preorganization of the
ligand confers to the complex geometries closer to a transition state,
which has been termed the “entatic” state in metalloproteins,
more recently extending this concept for copper complexes. However,
many aspects of the redox chemistry of CuI complexes cannot
be explained only by flattening. For instance, the role of ligand
flexibility in this context is an open debate nowadays. To analyze
this point, we studied oxidation properties of a series of five monometallic
CuI Schiff-base complexes, [CuI(L
n
)]+, which span a range of geometries
from a distorted square planar (n = 3) to a distorted
tetrahedron (n = 6, 7). This stepped control of the
structure around the CuI atom allows us to explore the
effect of the flattening distortion on both the electronic and redox
properties through the series. Experimental studies were complemented
by a theoretical analysis based on density functional theory calculations.
As expected, oxidation was favored in the flattened structures, spanning
a broad potential window of 370 mV for the complete series. This orderly
behavior was tested in the reductive dehalogenation reaction of tetrachloroethane
(TCE). Kinetic studies show that CuI oxidation by TCE is
faster as the flattening distortion is higher and the oxidation potentials
of the metal are lower. However, the most reactive complex was not
the more planar, contradicting the trend expected from oxidation potentials.
The origin of this irregularity is related to ligand flexibility and
its connection with the atom/electron transfer reaction path, highlighting
the need to consider effects beyond flattening distortion to better
understand the reactivity of this important class of complexes.