Catecholase Activities of Copper( II ) Complexes With N 4 Ligands

Two new N 4 ligands, 1,2‐bis(2‐((pyridine‐2‐yl)methyleneamino) phenyl)ethane (L 1 ) and tris((2‐benzylideneamino) ethyl)amine (L 2 ), derived from 2,2′‐ethylenedianiline and tren, respectively, were developed and their copper(II) complexes [Cu(L 1 )(ClO 4 )](ClO 4 )CH 3 OH∙H 2 O and [Cu(L 2 ) (CH 3 COO)](ClO 4 ) were synthesized. Crystal structures of the complexes were determined to show that both the complexes have distorted square pyramidal coordinations with very similar geometrical parameters. Catecholase activities of the complexes were investigated for the oxidation of 3,5‐di‐ tert ‐butylcatechol (3,5‐H 2 dtbc) to 3,5‐di‐ tert ‐butyl‐ o ‐quinone (3,5‐dtbq) in the presence of O 2 . Kinetic behaviors and spectroscopic measurements on the catalytic reactions were supportive to the proposal in which the mechanical pathway of the catecholase activities by the complexes were initiated by the anaerobic oxidation of 3,5‐H 2 dtbc to 3,5‐dtbq, followed by the catalytic cycles with Cu(I) active forms.