Encapsulation of tricopper cluster in a synthetic cryptand enables facile redox processes from CuCuCu to CuCuCu states.

One-pot reaction of tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (TREN), [Cu(MeCN)]PF, and paraformaldehyde affords a mixed-valent CuCuCu(μ-OH) complex. The macrocyclic azacryptand contains four TREN motifs, three of which provide a bowl-shape binding pocket for the [Cu(μ-OH)] core. The fourth TREN caps on top of the tricopper cluster to form a cryptand, imposing conformational constraints and preventing solvent interaction. Contrasting the limited redox capability of synthetic tricopper complexes reported so far, CuCuCu(μ-OH) exhibits several reversible single-electron redox events. The distinct electrochemical behaviors of CuCuCu(μ-OH) and its solvent-exposed analog CuCuCu(μ-O) suggest that isolation of tricopper core in a cryptand enables facile electron transfer, allowing potential application of synthetic tricopper complexes as redox catalysts. Indeed, the fully reduced CuCuCu(μ-OH) can reduce O under acidic conditions. The geometric constraints provided by the cryptand are reminiscent of Nature's multicopper oxidases (MCOs). For the first time, a synthetic tricopper cluster was isolated and fully characterized at CuCuCu (), CuCuCu (), and CuCuCu () states, providing structural and spectroscopic models for many intermediates in MCOs. Fast electron transfer rates (10 to 10 M s) were observed for both CuCuCu/CuCuCu and CuCuCu/CuCuCu redox couples, approaching the rapid electron transfer rates of copper sites in MCO.