Reaction between Various Copper(II) Complexes and Ascorbic Acid or 3,5-Di- t -butylcatechol

Abstract

The electron transfer reactions between various copper(II) complexes and two-electron donors, such as ascorbic acid and 3,5-di-t-butylcatechol, were investigated. Mononuclear copper(II) complexes with a distorted tetrahedral and a trigonal bipyramidal structure, and some binuclear complexes were readily reduced to copper(I) complexes by the two-electron donors, but not mononuclear planar copper(II) complexes. The catalytic activities of these copper(II) complexes for the oxidation of 3,5-di-t-butylcatechol by O2 were studied in relation to the above reactions.