An anionic, tetragonal copper(II) superoxide complex

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/ja106244k

Insight into copper-oxygen species proposed as intermediates in oxidation catalysis is provided by the identification of a Cu(II)-superoxide complex supported by a sterically hindered, pyridinedicarboxamide ligand. A tetragonal, end-on superoxide structure is proposed based on DFT calculations and UV-vis, NMR, EPR, and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The complex yields a trans-1,2-peroxodicopper(II) species upon reaction with [(tmpa)Cu(CH ₃CN)]OTf and, unlike other known Cu(II)-superoxide complexes, acts as a base rather than an electrophilic (H-atom abstracting) reagent in reactions with phenols.

Full text of DOI:10.1021/ja106244k

Published on Web 10/26/2010
An Anionic, Tetragonal Copper(II) Superoxide Complex
Patrick J. Donoghue, Aalo K. Gupta, David W. Boyce, Christopher J. Cramer, and
William B. Tolman*
Department of Chemistry, Supercomputing Institute, and Center for Metals in Biocatalysis, UniVersity of Minnesota,
207 Pleasant Street SE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455
Received July 14, 2010; E-mail: wtolman@umn.edu
Scheme 1. Compounds Prepared in This Work and a
Abstract: Insight into copper-oxygen species proposed as
intermediates in oxidation catalysis is provided by the identification
of a Cu(II)-superoxide complex supported by a sterically hindered,
pyridinedicarboxamide ligand. A tetragonal, end-on superoxide
structure is proposed based on DFT calculations and UV-vis,
NMR, EPR, and resonance Raman spectroscopy. The complex
yields a trans-1,2-peroxodicopper(II) species upon reaction with
[(tmpa)Cu(CH3CN)]OTf and, unlike other known Cu(II)-superoxide
complexes, acts as a base rather than an electrophilic (H-atom
abstracting) reagent in reactions with phenols.
Representation of the X-ray Crystal Structure of 2 Shown as 50%
Thermal Ellipsoids (H Atoms Omitted for Clarity)a
An important first step in copper-promoted aerobic oxidations
in biology1 and catalysis2 is the formation of a 1:1 Cu/O2 adduct,
in which the O2 molecule is activated for subsequent reactions,
either with substrate or to form different copper-oxygen species.
In one approach aimed at understanding such adducts, synthetic
1:1 Cu/O2 complexes have been targeted for detailed structural,
spectroscopic, and reactivity studies.3 To date, three types have
been identified: (a) end-on, triplet Cu(II)-superoxos supported by
tetradentate tripodal4 or, in one case, tridentate5 N-donor ligands;
(b) side-on, singlet Cu(II)-superoxos supported by facially coor-
dinating tris(pyrazolyl)hydroborates;6 and (c) side-on, singlet
Cu(III)-peroxos supported by strongly electron-donating, bidentate
ꢀ-diketiminates or anilido-imines.3,7 A key finding from reactivity
studies of type (a) compounds is that they are electrophilic, with
the ability to perform biologically relevant H-atom abstractions from
phenols and weak C-H bonds.4b,5 Investigations of the reactivity
of type (b) compounds have not been reported and type (c)
compounds are relatively unreactive with external organic sub-
strates. Herein we report that in seeking to expand the repertoire
of available 1:1 Cu/O2 structures for comparative evaluations, we
have discovered an end-on Cu(II)-superoxide complex that displays
unique characteristics, including a tetragonal geometry and non-
electrophilic reactivity.
a Selected bond distances (Å) and angles (deg): Cu-N1, 2.004(2);
Cu-N2, 1.920(2); Cu-N3, 1.994(2); Cu-N4, 1.973(2); N1-Cu-N2,
80.56(10); N1-Cu-N3, 161.19(9); N1-Cu-N4, 99.57(9); N2-Cu-N3,
80.84(10); N2-Cu-N4, 173.28(10); N3-Cu-N4, 99.23(10).
bleaching of its UV-vis spectral features. These features are
compared to those of the starting material 1 in Figure 1. Particularly
notable is an absorption at 627 nm (ꢀ ≈ 1700 M-1 cm-1) with
sufficient intensity to suggest that it is a charge transfer transition.
Laser excitation at 647.1 nm yields a resonance Raman (rR)
spectrum with an O-isotope sensitive peak at 1104 cm-1 (∆18O )
60 cm-1; Figure 1). These data support formulation of 3 as a Cu(II)-
superoxo complex with ν(O-O) ) 1104 cm-1, a value slightly
lower than that reported for other end-on Cu(II)-superoxos (∼1120
cm-1).4,5 Attempts at characterizing 3 by negative-ion electrospray
ionization mass spectrometry have not been successful due to its
thermal instability. Monitoring by EPR spectroscopy (X-band,
parallel and perpendicular modes, 2 K) of a titration of 3 by KO2/
18-crown-6 showed only the disappearance of the axial signal for
1 (Figure S1) and appearance of the g ≈ 2 signal for superoxide;
complex 3 is apparently EPR silent, which is consistent with a
singlet or a triplet ground state.12 1H NMR spectra of 1 and 3 in
1:1 d8-THF/d7-DMF at -80 °C only showed residual solvent peaks,
with the spectrum of 3 also showing peaks in the diamagnetic region
for 18-crown-6 overlapping that of CH3CN. These data rule out an
S ) 0 ground state formulation and are consistent with both 1 and
3 being paramagnetic species, with the absence of paramagnetically
shifted peaks for both suggesting very fast relaxation leading to
extensive peak broadening.
Inspired by a recent report,8 we prepared complex 1 (Scheme
1) by treating N,N′-bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl)-2,6-pyridinedicar-
boxamide9 with NaOMe followed by CuCl2 in the presence of
CH3CN.10 In methanol or THF solution, 1 is green, whereas it is
red-brown in the presence of CH3CN or pyridine. Consistent with
this solvatochromism (Figure S2), attempts to obtain crystals of 1
suitable for X-ray crystallographic analysis were complicated by
apparent CH3CN lability. The addition of 4-tBu-pyridine, however,
yielded X-ray quality dark red crystals of 2 (Scheme 1). The
complex is square planar with a geometry similar to that of other
known 2,6-pyridinedicarboxamide Cu(II) complexes.11
Addition of 1 to a slurry of KO2 and 18-crown-6 in DMF/THF
(1:1 v/v) at -80 °C immediately yielded an azure solution
comprising compound 3. This species is stable at -80 °C for hours
but decomposes upon warming above -60 °C as indicated by
9
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J. AM. CHEM. SOC. 2010, 132, 15869–15871 15869

C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
the B98 functional10 identified a UV-vis transition at 625 nm. The
orbitals involved correspond to the transition from the superoxide
2
2
π* orbital to an antibonding combination of the Cu dx -y and the
four ligand sigma donors (Figure S8). The calculated data are
collectively consistent with assigning 3 as an end-on, Cu(II)-
superoxo species.
Figure 2. Calculated structure of end-on triplet Cu(II)-superoxo complex
3. Carbon (gray), nitrogen (blue), oxygen (red), and copper (green) are
shown. Hydrogens omitted for clarity.
To further corroborate the formulation of 3, we sought to trap it
with a Cu(I) complex to generate a (peroxo)dicopper species, a
transformation known to occur in reactions of Cu(I) complexes with
O2.14 Treatment of a solution of 3 with [(tmpa)Cu(CH3CN)]OTf15
at -80 °C yielded a purple solution with an intense UV-vis
absorption at 624 nm (ꢀ ≈ 8300 M-1 cm-1) and a shoulder around
550 nm (4, Figure 1). The rR spectrum of this solution using 647
nm excitation showed an isotope sensitive peak at 832 cm-1 (∆18O
) 44 cm-1; Figure 1) that we assign as the ν(O-O) for a
(peroxo)dicopper complex. Taken together, the available evidence
supports formulation of 4 as a (1,2-peroxo)dicopper species (Scheme
1). The similarities of the data to those reported for trans-1,2-peroxo
complexes4d,16 suggest a similar geometry for 4, although the
intensity pattern for the UV-vis absorptions is reversed from the
typical pattern (higher energy peroxo πσ* f Cu(II) more intense
than lower energy peroxo πv* f Cu(II) transition), perhaps due to
distortions of the CuOOCu atoms from planarity. To confirm that
the UV-vis and rR features attributed to 4 are not due to
[(tmpa)2Cu2(O2)]2+, which might be envisioned to form from
reaction of [(tmpa)Cu(CH3CN)]OTf with adventitious O2 or KO2,
we collected UV-vis and rR data for [(tmpa)2Cu2(O2)](OTf)2
generated by purposeful addition of O2 to [(tmpa)Cu(CH3CN)]OTf
in 1:1 DMF/THF at -80 °C. The pattern of UV-vis absorptions
(Figure S2) and the ν(O-O) value (822 cm-1, Figure 1) are similar
to literature data16 but are different from the data obtained for 4.
Preliminary examination of the reactivity of 3 with phenols and
acids revealed behavior distinct from that reported for other Cu(II)-
superoxo complexes. For example, no reaction was observed upon
addition of excess 4-tert-butyl-, 2,4-di-tert-butyl-, or 2,4,6-tri-tert-
butyl-phenols to solutions of 3 at -80 °C, whereas other Cu(II)-
superoxo complexes generate phenoxyl radicals or derived coupled
products via H-atom abstraction from these substrates.4b,5 Even
upon warming of the solution, no hydroxylated, coupled, or other
phenolic products could be identified from the reaction mixtures
(GC/MS). Addition of PPh3 to a solution of 3 at -80 °C similarly
yielded no change of the UV-vis spectral features, and upon
warming to room temperature and acidic workup, GC/MS analysis
showed recovery of 78% of the PPh3 and no OPPh3. On the other
hand, addition of HOAc or 4-nitrophenol to 3 resulted in immediate
quenching of the features due to 3 and, for the latter case, the growth
of an intense absorption at 407 nm attibutable to the 4-nitrophe-
Figure 1. (Top) UV-vis spectra of compounds 1, 3, and 4 (-80 °C, DMF/
THF). (Bottom Left) Resonance Raman difference spectrum (16O-18O) for
compound 3 prepared from K16O2 or K18O2 (-196 °C, λex ) 647 nm).
(Bottom Right) Resonance Raman spectra for compound 4 prepared from
3(16O) (black line) or 3(18O) (blue line), overlaid with spectrum of
[(tmpa)2Cu2(16O2)](OTf)2 (red dotted line) (-196 °C, λex ) 647.1 nm).
In order to better characterize the electronic structure of 3,
unrestricted DFT calculations were performed using the mPW
functional and a broken-symmetry (BS) formalism for the singlet
state.10 Various initial Cu(II)-superoxo complex geometries for
either spin state all smoothly minimized to a structure showing end-
on coordination of the superoxide to the copper center (Figure 2).
The triplet state is computed to be lower in energy than the spin-
purified singlet state by 6.2 kcal/mol. Previous analysis of various
computational methods has suggested that the mPW functional may
underestimate the energy of an end-on bound singlet state meaning
that the triplet state may be even more strongly favored.13 The
Cu-O distances were calculated to be 1.966 and 2.778 Å, with a
Cu-O-O angle of 115.1° and an O-O bond length of 1.292 Å,
all consistent with superoxide character. The superoxide orients
perpendicular to the plane of the N-donor ligand. A saddle point
on the potential energy surface for superoxide rotation was identified
with the O2 moiety in the plane of the ligand. After inclusion of
zero-point energy, the minimum and saddle point structure are
essentially degenerate in energy, suggesting that rotation about the
Cu-O bond is effectively barrierless. A singlet structure with
symmetrical η2 coordination of the superoxide was also located
and identified as a transition-state structure corresponding to
interconversion of one η1 superoxide species with another; the
barrier on the singlet surface is 19.8 kcal/mol. Computed ν(O-O)
frequencies for the end-on minima are 1182 cm-1 (∆18O ) 66 cm-1
)
for the triplet state and 1160 cm-1 (∆18O ) 64 cm-1) for the singlet
state (for the side-on singlet TS structure, ν(O-O) is 1042 cm-1
(∆18O ) 58 cm-1)). The computed frequencies are somewhat high
compared to the rR values, likely because the calculations do not
include a counterion or solvation, thereby reducing the tendency
for negative charge to concentrate on the O2 fragment and raising
the stretching frequencies. Time dependent DFT calculations using
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C O M M U N I C A T I O N S
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noxide anion, likely complexed to Cu(II). This was confirmed by
observation of the same UV-vis spectrum upon addition of sodium
4-nitrophenoxide to a solution of 1 (Figure S3). Upon acidic workup
of the product solution from the reaction of p-nitrophenol with 3,
only 4-nitrophenol was identified in the reaction mixture (80% yield
by GC/MS) suggesting that the Cu(II)-superoxo species was being
protonated and not undergoing any radical processes. We surmise
that the unique reactivity exhibited by 3 is due to the fact that it is
anionic and thus more prone to act as a base or nucleophile, whereas
other end-on Cu(II)-superoxo complexes are supported by neutral
N-donor ligands and are therefore cationic and electrophilic.
In summary, a new type of tetragonal, anionic, end-on Cu(II)-
superoxo species has been characterized by spectroscopy and theory.
The reactivity of this species is significantly different from that of
previously reported Cu(II)-superoxo complexes. Taken together, these
results provide new insights into the chemistry of copper-oxygen
species proposed to be key intermediates in oxidation catalysis.
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Acknowledgment. We thank L. Que, Jr. and J. D. Lipscomb
for access to the Raman and EPR spectroscopy facilities, respec-
tively; L. Yang for collecting EPR data; and the NIH (GM47365
to W.B.T.) and NSF (CHE-0952054 to C.J.C.) for financial support
of this work.
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Supporting Information Available: Experimental procedures,
spectra, computational details (PDF), and CIF. This material is available
free of charge via the Internet at http://pubs.acs.org.
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