The Electrochemistry of Macrocyclic Copper Complexes

Abstract

This study will focus on the tetra-Schiff base macrocycle first reported by Pilkington and Robson. The macrocyclic, binucleating ligand LH2 is pictured in figure 1. This ligand is capable of coordinating two. metal atcms to form a binuclear macrocyclic complex, M1M2Ln+. Synthetic processes have been devised to make mononuclear, homobinuclear, heterobinuclear, and mixed valence complexes. The intriguing aspect of this system is that two metal atoms are brought into close proximity of one another. An immediate question is, do the two metals interact, and if so to what extent? What additional properties are possessed by a binuclear complex in comparison to a similar mononuclear complex?