Effect of geometrical distortion on the electronic structure: synthesis and characterization of monoradical-coordinated mononuclear Cu(II) complexes

Abstract

Ligand H3SamiMixed(tBu) was composed of two different compartments, a redox-active 2-aminophenol and a salen salicylidene. Both compartments were linked via a benzyl linker. The ligand reacted with CuCl2·2H2O under air in the presence of Et3N and provided the corresponding monoradical-coordinated mononuclear Cu(II) complex (1). Complex 1, in solution, reacted with air and provided complex 2 via ligand-centered oxygenation at the benzyl-CH2 position. Both complexes were characterized via IR, mass spectrometry, X-ray single-crystal diffraction, variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility, cyclic voltammograms (CVs), and UV–vis/NIR spectroscopic techniques. X-ray crystallographic analyses clearly showed almost equally distorted square planar geometry around the Cu(II) atom in both complexes. However, the bending of the radical-containing C6 ring compared to the N1–Cu1–O1 plane was different in both complexes. While complex 1 was paramagnetic and showed a ferromagnetic coupling between the dx2–y2 magnetic orbital of Cu(II) ion and the pz orbital of coordinated π-radical, complex 2 was diamagnetic by experiencing a strong antiferromagnetic coupling between the two magnetic orbitals. UV–vis/NIR spectra of the complexes were dominated by charge-transfer transitions. CVs of the complexes showed two reversible one-electron oxidations and one reversible one-electron reduction. E1/2ox2 and E1/2red1 potentials were different in both complexes, while E1/2ox1 values were almost the same and the process corresponded to the formation of phenoxyl radical. Theoretical studies were also performed to understand the magnetic coupling phenomena, and TD-DFT calculations were employed for the assignment of charge-transfer absorption bands.