Synthesis, structure, magnetism, and spectroscopic properties of heterobinuclear copper(II)-zinc(II) complexes and their copper(II)-copper(II) analogues in asymmetric ligand environments

Heterobinuclear copper(II)-zinc(II) complexes and their homobinuclear dicopper(II) counterparts (1-4) of two asymmetric ligands (H2L1 and H2L2), based on 2-aminocyclopent-1-ene-1-dithiocarboxylate, are reported. The ligands are capable of providing both donor set and coordination number asymmetry in tandem. Metal centers in these complexes are connected by a mu-alkoxo and a bridging pyrazolate moiety, as confirmed by X-ray structure analyses of 1, 3, and 4. The Cu(1) site in the dicopper complex (1) is square planar and so are the copper sites in the Cu-Zn complexes 3 and 4. The pentacoordinated Zn sites in the latter complexes have distorted TBP geometry (tau = 0.74), while the corresponding Cu site in 1 has a highly distorted square pyramidal structure (tau = 0.54). The Cu...Zn separations in 3 and 4 are 3.3782 and 3.3403 Angstrom, respectively, while the Cu...Cu distance in 1 is 3.3687 Angstrom. The dicopper complexes are EPR silent at 77 K, in which the copper(II) centers are coupled by strong antiferromagnetic coupling (J = ca. -290 cm(-1)) as confirmed by variable-temperature (4-300 K) magnetic measurements. These compounds (11 and 2) undergo two one-electron reductions and a single step two-electron oxidation at ca. -0.26, -1.40, and 1.0 V vs Ag/AgCl reference, respectively, as indicated by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry done at subambient temperatures. EPR spectra of 3 and 4 display axial anisotropy at 77 K with the g(perpendicular to) region being split into multiple lines due to N-superhyperfine coupling (A(N) = 15.3 x 10(-4) cm(-1)). The observed trend in the spin-Hamiltonian parameters, g(parallel to) > g(perpendicular to) > 2.04 and \A(perpendicular to)\ much less than \A(parallel to)\ (120-150) x 10(-4) cm(-1), indicates a d(x2-y2)-based ground state with tetragonal site symmetry for the Cu(II) center in these molecules.