Synthesis, Structure, Magnetic and Catalytic Competency of a Tetradentate (NNOO) Schiff Base Mediated Dimeric Copper(II) Complex

One dinuclear copper(II) complex {μ-[2,2′-{ethane-1,2-diylbis[(azanylylidene)methanylylidene]}- bis(phenolato)]}-{μ-[2,2′-{ethane-1,2-diylbis[(azanylylidene)methanylylidene]}bis(phenolato)]}- dicopper(II), [Cu2(salen)2] (1) [salen2− = [2,2′-{ethane-1,2-diylbis[(azanylylidene)methanylylidene]}- bis(phenolato)] has been isolated and characterized by X-ray diffraction analysis and spectroscopic studies. X-ray single crystal structure examination revealed that each Cu(II) center in the asymmetric unit of 1 adopts a distorted square planar geometry with a CuN2O2 chromophore, where two asymmetric units are attached through congregation of Salen involving Cu-O bond to form dinuclear molecular unit [Cu2(salen)2]. In crystalline state, these dinuclear entities in 1 are extended through C-H···π interactions and π···π interactions displaying a 3D network structure. The variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurement asserted a dominant antiferromagnetic interaction between the copper(II) centers through Cu-O-Cu linkage in 1 with J = -1.46 cm-1. The catalytic efficacy of complex 1 was studied in a series of solvents for the oxidation of styrene and cyclooctene using tert-butyl-hydroperoxide (TBHP) as an active oxidant under mild conditions. The catalytic reaction mixture has been analyzed by gas chromatography and it displayed that the yield of the epoxidation and its selectivity is optimum in acetonitrile medium.