The importance of copper as an essential element can be estimated by the wi
de range of copper proteins and enzymes playing different roles in biologic
al systems. In the last decades many bioinorganic studies were developed on
mimetic complexes of copper-dependent proteins, in order to verify the int
errelations between structural and functional properties of active copper c
enters. Among the most studied copper ion ligand, diimine compounds have de
served special attention due their flexibility, facility of preparation, an
d ability to stabilize both oxidation states of this metal. In our laborato
ry, we have been investigating some Schiff base copper complexes as mimics
of different proteins, with emphasis on functional aspects, trying to eluci
date mechanisms of reaction, based on proposed intermediary species, in add
ition to molecular shapes. Particularly, mimics of the copper-zinc superoxi
de dismutase, and of monooxigenases and oxidases exhibiting dicopper sites
are discussed in this work.