CRYSTAL-STRUCTURES AND SUPEROXIDE-DISMUTASE MIMETIC ACTIVITY OF [CUL(2)(HIM)(2)]CENTER-DOT-MEOH AND [CUL(2)(MIM)(2)]CENTER-DOT-H2O [HL=4-AMINO-N-(THIAZOL-2-YL)BENZENESULFONAMIDE, HIM EQUALS IMIDAZOLE, MIM EQUALS N-METHYLIMIDAZOLE]

The complexes [CuL(2)(Him)(2)]. MeOH 1 and [CuL(2)(mim)(2)]. H2O 2 [HL = 4-amino-N-(thiazol-2-yl)-benzenesulfonamide, Him = imidazole, mim = N-methylimidazole] have been prepared and their crystal structures de termined. In 1 the metal centre has a very irregular stereochemistry, being co-ordinated by six nitrogen atoms, two of them from the imidazo le ligands and the other four from three sulfonamides, one belonging t o an adjacent asymmetric unit. The crystal packing shows stacking inte ractions between the imidazole and phenyl rings of the sulfonamide. In 2 the co-ordination polyhedron is intermediate between square pyramid al and trigonal bipyramidal. Spectroscopic and electrochemical data ar e in accord with the crystal structures. The in vitro O-2(-) scavenger activity of the complexes shows that they exhibit high superoxide-dis mutase mimetic activity.