Synthesis, spectroscopy, and electrochemistry of copper(II) complexes with N,N'-bis(3,5-di-t-butylsalicylideneimine)polymethylenediamine ligands.

Bulky salen CuL(x) derived from aliphatic polymethylene diamines, H(2)N-(CH(2))(x)-NH(2), where n = 2-6, and 3,5-di-t-butylsalicylaldehyde (H(2)L(x)) and some corresponding tetrahydrosalan complexes (CuL(x)') have been synthesized and characterized by their IR, UV-vis absorption and EPR spectra, by magnetic moments and by cyclic voltammetry in acetonitrile (for H(2)L(x)) and DMF (for CuL(x)). Complexes CuL(x) and CuL(x)' are magnetically normal (mu(exp) = 1.83-1.91 mu(B)). EPR spectra CuL(x) characterized by the axial g and A(Cu) tensors with g parallel > g perpendicular and without (14)N-shf resolution in CHCl(3)/toluene at 300 and 150K. The CV studies on acetonitrile solutions of H(2)L(x) revealed a well-defined quasi-reversible redox wave at E(1/2) = 0.95-1.15 V versus Ag/AgCl but CV of the CuL(x) complexes in DMF exhibit weak pronounced irreversible oxidation waves at E(pa)(1) = 0.51 - 098 V and E(pa)(2) = 1.16 - 1.33 V attributable to metal centered Cu(II/III) and ligand centered CuL(x)/CuL(x)*+ couples, respectively. A poorly defined wave was observed for the quasi-reversible reduction Cu(II)/Cu(I) at potentials less than -1.0 V.