A double arene hydroxylation mediated by dicopper(II)-hydroperoxide species.

The dicopper(II) complex [Cu(2)(L)](4+) (L = alpha,alpha'-bis[bis[2-(1'-methyl-2'-benzimidazolyl)ethyl]amino]-m-xylene) reacts with hydrogen peroxide to give the dicopper(II)-hydroquinone complex in which the xylyl ring of the ligand has undergone a double hydroxylation reaction at ring positions 2 and 5. The dihydroxylated ligand 2,6-bis([bis[2-(3-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl)benzene-1,4-diol was isolated by decomposition of the product complex. The incorporation of two oxygen atoms from H(2)O(2) into the ligand was confirmed by isotope labeling studies using H(2)(18)O(2). The pathway of the unusual double hydroxylation was investigated by preparing the two isomeric phenolic derivatives of L, namely 3,5-bis([bis[2-(1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl)phenol (6) and 2,6-bis([bis[2-(1-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl)phenol (7), carrying the hydroxyl group in one of the two positions where L is hydroxylated. The dicopper(II) complexes prepared with the new ligands 6 and 7 and containing bridging micro-phenoxo moieties are inactive in the hydroxylation. Though, the dicopper(II) complex 3 derived from 6 and containing a protonated phenol is rapidly hydroxylated by H(2)O(2) and represents the first product formed in the hydroxylation of [Cu(2)(L)](4+). Kinetic studies performed on the reactions of [Cu(2)(L)](4+) and 3 with H(2)O(2) show that the second hydroxylation is faster than the first one at room temperature (0.13 +/- 0.05 s(-1) vs 5.0(+/-0.1) x 10(-3) s(-1)) and both are intramolecular processes. However, the two reactions exhibit different activation parameters (Delta H++ = 39.1 +/- 0.9 kJ mol(-1) and Delta S++ = -115.7 +/- 2.4 J K(-1) mol(-1) for the first hydroxylation; Delta H++ = 77.8 +/- 1.6 kJ mol(-1) and Delta S++ = -14.0 +/- 0.4 J K(-1) mol(-1) for the second hydroxylation). By studying the reaction between [Cu(2)(L)](4+) and H(2)O(2) at low temperature, we were able to characterize the intermediate eta(1):eta(1)-hydroperoxodicopper(II) adduct active in the first hydroxylation step, [Cu(2)(L)(OOH)](3+) [lambda(max) = 342 (epsilon 12,000), 444 (epsilon 1200), and 610 nm (epsilon 800 M(-1)cm(-1)); broad EPR signal in frozen solution indicative of magnetically coupled Cu(II) centers].

Tyrosinase Models. Synthesis, Structure, Catechol Oxidase Activity, and Phenol Monooxygenase Activity of a Dinuclear Copper Complex Derived from a Triamino Pentabenzimidazole Ligand.

The dicopper(II) complex with the ligand N,N,N',N',N"-pentakis[(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl)methyl]dipropylenetriamine (LB5) has been synthesized and structurally characterized. The small size and the quality of the single crystal required that data be collected using synchrotron radiation at 276 K. [Cu(2)(LB5)(H(2)O)(2)][ClO(4)](4): platelet shaped, P&onemacr;, a = 11.028 Å, b = 17.915 Å, c = 20.745 Å, alpha = 107.44 degrees, beta = 101.56 degrees, gamma = 104.89 degrees, V = 3603.7 Å(3), Z = 2; number of unique data, I >/= 2sigma(I) = 3447; number of refined parameters = 428; R = 0.12. The ligand binds the two coppers nonsymmetrically; Cu1 is coordinated through five N donors and Cu2 through the remaining three N donors, while two water molecules complete the coordination sphere. Cu1 has distorted TBP geometry, while Cu2 has distorted SP geometry. Voltammetric experiments show quasireversible reductions at the two copper centers, with redox potential higher for the CuN(3) center (0.40 V) and lower for the CuN(5) center (0.17 V). The complex binds azide in the terminal mode at the CuN(3) center with affinity lower than that exhibited by related dinuclear polyaminobenzimidazole complexes where this ligand is bound in the bridging mode. The catechol oxidase activity of [Cu(2)(LB5)](4+) has been examined in comparison with that exhibited by [Cu(2)(L-55)](4+) (L-55 = alpha,alpha'-bis{bis[(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl)methyl]amino}-m-xylene) and [Cu(2)(L-66)](4+) (L-66 = alpha,alpha'-bis{bis[2-(1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl)ethyl]amino}-m-xylene) by studying the catalytic oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol in methanol/aqueous buffer pH 5.1. Kinetic experiments show that [Cu(2)(L-55)](4+) is the most efficient catalyst (rate constant 140 M(-1) s(-1)), followed by [Cu(2)(LB5)](4+) (60 M(-1) s(-1)), in this oxidation, while [Cu(2)(L-66)](4+) undergoes an extremely fast stoichiometric phase followed by a slow and substrate-concentration-independent catalytic phase. The catalytic activity of [Cu(2)(L-66)](4+), however, is strongly promoted by hydrogen peroxide, because this oxidant allows a fast reoxidation of the dicopper(I) complex during turnover. The activity of [Cu(2)(LB5)](4+) is also promoted by hydrogen peroxide, while that of [Cu(2)(L-55)](4+) is little affected. The phenol monooxygenase activity of [Cu(2)(LB5)](2+) has been compared with that of [Cu(2)(L-55)](2+) and [Cu(2)(L-66)](2+) by studying the ortho hydroxylation of methyl 4-hydroxybenzoate to give methyl 3,4-dihydroxybenzoate. The LB5 complex is much more selective than the other complexes since its reaction produces only catechol, while the main product obtained with the other complexes is an addition product containing a phenol residue condensed at ring position 2 of the catechol.

A Loose Cage for Transition Metals.

The octamine cage 5, L, incorporates Ni(II), Cu(II), and Zn(II) in aqueous solution by a fast and reversible process. Equilibrium studies indicated the formation of metal complexes of protonated forms of the ligands, i.e. M(II)(LH(2))](4+) and [M(II)(LH)](+), and of the neutral ligand, [M(II)(L)](2+). The crystal structure of a complex of the monoprotonated ligand, [Ni(II)(LH)](ClO(4))(3), has been determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The complex salt (C(18)H(43)N(8)Cl(3)NiO(12).H(2)O) crystallizes in the orthorombic Pbca space group, with cell constants a = 14.173(2) Å, b = 14.383(1) Å, c = 30.622(3) Å, V = 6242(1) Å(3), and Z = 8. The Ni(II) ion is coordinated to six of the eight available nitrogen atoms, in a very distorted octahedral stereochemistry: of the two uncoordinated donor atoms, a tertiary nitrogen atom and an adjacent secondary one, it is the latter that is protonated. The easy access of protons to uncoordinated amine groups of the cage accounts for the fast demetalation of [Ni(II)(L)](2+) and [Cu(II)(L)](2+) in acidic solution, which was investigated by stopped-flow spectrophotometry. Dependence of k(obs) upon [H(+)] for [Ni(II)(L)](2+) and upon [H(+)](2) for [Cu(II)(L)](2+) indicated that the protonation of uncoordinated nitrogen atoms of the cage is the key step of the demetalation process.