title: Steric, geometrical and solvent effects on redox potentials in salen-type copper(II) complexes.
abstract: Two diastereomers of the Schiff base ligand [N,N'-bis(2'-hydroxyphenyl)phenylmethylidene]-1,2-diamino-1,2-diphenylethane (H(2)L) were used for the analyses of the redox behaviour of the copper(ii) complexes [Cu(L(R,R/S,S))] (rac-) and [Cu(L(R,S))] (meso-). Both complexes were structurally characterised by X-ray crystallographic studies and showed square planar geometries. The reduction potential of Cu(II) to Cu(I) for meso- was higher than that for rac-. This is due to the steric effect of the phenyl substituents and the geometrical change in the copper(i) state, which is supported by DFT calculations. A red shift of the absorption spectrum was observed for meso- in the visible region by the change of solvent from dichloromethane to pyridine, while rac- did not show a significant change. The effect of solvent on the reduction potential was found to be relatively small. The geometrical effect is more important for understanding the electrochemical behaviour in this system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Material Science, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Sumiyoshi-ku, Osaka 558-8585, Japan. mhiro@sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Masakazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hirotsu
authors.forename: Naoto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kuwamura
authors.forename: Isamu
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kinoshita
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kojima
authors.forename: Yuzo
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yoshikawa
authors.forename: Keiji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueno