Reaction with dioxygen of a Cu(I) complex of 1-benzyl-[3-(2'-pyridyl)]pyrazole triggers ethyl acetate hydrolysis: acetato-/pyrazolato-, dihydroxo- and diacetato-bridged Cu(II) complexes.

A copper(I) compound [(L2)Cu(MeCN)2][ClO4] (1) containing a new bidentate N-donor ligand L2, 1-benzyl-[3-(2'-pyridyl)]pyrazole, derived from the condensation of HL1 [HL1 = 3-(2-pyridyl)pyrazole] and benzyl chloride, has been synthesized. Structural analysis reveals that in the copper(I) centre is coordinated by a pyridine and a pyrazole nitrogen from L2 and two MeCN molecules, providing a distorted tetrahedral geometry. Reaction of with dioxygen in N,N'-dimethylformamide (dmf) at 25 degrees C and subsequent workup with MeCO2Et afforded an acetato-/pyrazolato-bridged polymeric copper(II) compound [(mu-L1)Cu(mu-O2CMe)]n (2). Notably, the deprotonated form of HL(1) and MeCO2- have originated from debenzylation of L2 and hydrolysis of MeCO2Et, respectively. The structural analysis of reveals a near-planar {Cu2(mu-L1)2}2+ core unit in which two adjacent Cu(II) ions are bridged by the deprotonated N,N-bidentate pyridylpyrazole units of two L1 and each such {Cu2(mu-L1)2}2+ unit is bridged by MeCO2- in a monodentate bridging mode [Cu...Cu separations (A): 3.9232(4) pyrazolate bridge; 3.3418(4) acetate bridge], providing a polymeric network. Careful oxygenation of in MeCN led to the isolation of a dihydroxo-bridged dicopper(II) compound [{(L2)Cu(mu-OH)(OClO3)}2] (3). Interestingly, complex brings about hydrolysis of MeCO2Et under mild conditions (dmf, ca. 60 degrees C), generating a bis-mu-1,3-acetato-bridged dicopper(II) complex, [{(L2)Cu(dmf)(mu-O2CMe)}2][ClO4]2.dmf.0.5MeCO2H (4). Compounds and have {Cu2(mu-OH)2}2+ [Cu...Cu separation of 2.8474(9) A] and {Cu2(mu-O2CMe)2}2+ cores [Cu...Cu separation: 3.0988(26) and 3.0792(29) A (two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit)] in which each Cu(II) centre is terminally coordinated by L2. A rationale has been provided for the observed debenzylation of L2 and hydrolysis of MeCO(2)Et. The intramolecular magnetic coupling between the Cu(II) (S = 1/2) ions was found to be ferromagnetic (2J = 82 cm(-1)) in the case of , but antiferromagnetic for (2J = -158 cm(-1)) and (2J = -96 cm(-1)). Absorption and EPR spectroscopic properties of the copper(II) compounds have also been investigated.