Dioxygen activation of a trinuclear Cu(I)Cu(I)Cu(I) cluster capable of mediating facile oxidation of organic substrates: competition between O-atom transfer and abortive intercomplex reduction.

The dioxygen activation of a series of Cu(I)Cu(I)Cu(I) complexes based on the ligands (L) 3,3'-(1,4-diazepane- 1,4-diyl)bis(1-{2-(dimethylamino)ethylamino}propan-2-ol)(7-Me) or 3,3'-(1,4-diazepane-1,4-diyl)bis(1-{2-(diethylamino)ethylamino}propan-2-ol)(7-Et) forms an intermediate capable of mediating facile O-atom transfer to simple organic substrates at room temperature. To elucidate the dioxygen chemistry, we have examined the reactions of 7-Me, 7-Et, and 3,3'-(1,4-diazepane-1,4-diyl)bis[1-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)propan-2-ol] (7-N-Meppz) with dioxygen at -80, -55, and -35 °C in propionitrile (EtCN) by UV-visible, 77 K EPR, and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, and 7-N-Meppz and 7-Me with dioxygen at room temperature in acetonitrile (MeCN) by diode array spectrophotometry. At both -80 and -55 °C, the mixing of the starting Cu(I)Cu(I)Cu(I)(L) complex (1) with O(2)-saturated propionitrile (EtCN) led to a bright green solution consisting of two paramagnetic species: the green dioxygen adduct Cu(II)Cu(II)(μ-η(2):η(2)-peroxo)Cu(II)(L) (2) and the blue Cu(II)Cu(II)(μ-O)Cu(II)(L) species (3). These observations are consistent with the initial formation of Cu(II)Cu(II)(μ-O)(2)Cu(III)(L)(4), followed by rapid abortion of this highly reactive species by intercluster electron transfer from a second molecule of complex 1 to give the blue species 3 and subsequent oxygenation of the partially oxidized Cu(II)Cu(I)Cu(I)(L)(5) to form the green dioxygen adduct 2. Assignment of 2 to Cu(II)Cu(II)(μ-η(2):η(2)-peroxo)Cu(II)(L) is consistent with its reactivity with water to give H(2)O(2) and the blue species 3, as well as its propensity to be photoreduced in the X-ray beam during X-ray absorption experiments at room temperature. In light of these observations, the development of an oxidation catalyst based on the tricopper system requires consideration of the following design criteria: 1) rapid dioxygen chemistry; 2) facile O-atom transfer from the activated cluster to substrate; and 3) a suitable reductant to rapidly regenerate complex 1 to accomplish efficient catalytic turnover.