SYNTHESIS, STRUCTURAL CHARACTERIZATION AND DIOXYGEN REACTIVITY OF IMIDAZOLE-LIGATED CU(I) COMPLEXES

{Bis[(heterocycle)ethyl]amine}copper(I) complexes with a least one imi dazole ligand react with 0.5 equiv. of dioxygen at -78-degrees-C to gi ve purple peroxo species. The dioxygen adduct of l]-N-2-[1-butyl-2-imi dazolyl]ethyl}amine}copper(I) tetrafluoroborate having one imidazole a nd one pyridine donor has absorption maxima at 332, 435 and 538 nm and is unreactive toward acid and triphenylphosphine at low temperature, characteristics that have been ascribed to mu-eta2,eta2-coordination. Bis[2-(1-methyl-2-imidazolyl)ethyl]amine}copper(I) tetrafluoroborate ( 11) has been structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography and h as the expected T-shape. Crystal data for 11: monoclinic, a = 9.2181(2 1), b = 11.638(3), c = 14.914(4) angstrom; beta = 92.059(19)-degrees; Z = 4; space group = P2(1)/c; 1748 independent non-zero (I>2.5sigma(I) ) reflections with 2theta between 2 and 50-degrees; R = 6.5%; R(w) = 8 .5%.