Chalcone and Flavonol Copper(II) Complexes Containing Schiff Base Co-Ligand: Synthesis, Crystal Structures and Catecholase-like Activity

Four new heteroleptic copper(II) complexes having chalcone or flavonol ligands and Schiff base (N-phenyl-5-chlorosalicylideneimine) as co-ligand were prepared, chemically and structurally characterized and investigated as functional biomimetic catecholase models. The complexes were prepared by the solution synthesis and crystal and molecular structures were determined by X-ray diffraction. Complexes were chemically characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and electronic absorption spectroscopy as well as by electrochemical measurements. Copper(II) chalcone complexes, with square-pyramidal CuO4N core, are binuclear, featuring phenolate oxygen from the Schiff base as a bridging atom, while copper(II) flavonol complexes are mononuclear, and reveal a square planar CuO3N coordination core. Catalytic activity of the complexes in 3, 5-di-tert-butylcatechol oxidation was confirmed by spectrophotometric and electrochemical measurements. Kinetic measurements revealed that the binuclear (chalcone-containing) complexes have enhanced catalytic activity as compared to the mononuclear Cu(II) flavonol complexes. Relatively high kcat values (300 – 750 h–1) confirmed their respectable biomimetic catecholase-like activity.