SPECTROSCOPIC CHARACTERIZATION OF SOME NEW MODEL COMPOUNDS THAT MIMICCOUPLED BINUCLEAR COPPER PROTEINS AND ENZYMES

The ligand, ortho-bis[N,N-bis(2'-benzoimidazolyl methyl) amino]-trans- cyclohexane (CTB), is prepared by condensation of ortho-pheny]ene diam ine and tho-diamino-transcyclohexane-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid. The l igand reacted respectively with appropriate copper(I) salts to give bi nuclear Cu(I) coordination compounds, which have a general formula Cu- 2(CTB)X(2) (X=ClO4., Cl-. and BF4.). The complex ion [Cu-2(CTB)](2+) i n dimethyl formamide (DMF) take up oxygen in a 1:1 molar ratio when bu bbling O-2 or exposed to air. Moreover, the complexes undergo a quasi- reversible change with bubbling O-2 and adding ascorbic acid (AA) and oxy-deoxy-cycles can be repeated more than six times. The electronic, fluorescence and ESR spectra of deoxy- and oxy-complexes show a strong resemblance to that of deoxy- and oxy-hemocyanin (He) respectively. T he oxygen adducts have been isolated.