A dinuclear and a 1D zigzag chain of copper(II) complexes with N2O donor Schiff base ligand and psuedohalides ( azide and dicyanamide): Studies on catecholase-like activity

Two copper(II) complexes, [Cu2L2(mu(1,1)-N-3)(2)]center dot 2CH(2)Cl(2) (1) and [CuL(mu(1,5)-dca)](n) (dca = dicyanamide) (2) have been synthesized using a tridentate Schiff base ligand, 1-[(3-methylamino-propylimino)-methyl]-naphthalen-2-ol (HL) and azide or dicyanamide as co-ligand. Both complexes are characterized by elemental analysis, IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray diffraction studies. The coordination geometry around the copper center in complex 1 is as an elongated (4 + 1) square pyramid and that in complex 2 is square planar with the tridentate Schiff base ligand in the basal plane. Complex 1 is a centrosymmetric dimer in which metal centers are connected by the double mu-(1,1)-azido bridges. On the other hand, complex 2 is a 1D zigzag chain in which metal centers are connected by mu(1,5)-N(CN)(2) ligands. The catecholase like activity for both complexes have been studied by using 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (3,5-DTBC) as the substrate. Complex 1 shows higher activity (k(cat) = 40.8 h(-1)) than that of complex 2 (27.6 h(-1)) towards such oxidation reaction. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.