Mononuclear copper(II)-superoxo complexes that mimic the structure and reactivity of the active centers of PHM and DbetaM.

Mononuclear copper(II)-superoxo complexes 2(X)-OO(*) having triplet (S = 1) ground states were obtained via reaction of O(2) with the copper(I) starting materials 1(X) supported by tridentate ligands L(X) [1-(2-p-X-phenethyl)-5-(2-pyridin-2-ylethyl)-1,5-diazacyclooctane; X = CH(3), H, NO(2)] in various solvents. The superoxo complexes 2(X)-OO(*) mimic the structure [tetrahedral geometry with an end-on (eta(1))-bound O(2)(*-)] and the aliphatic C-H bond activation chemistry of peptidylglycine alpha-hydroxylating monooxygenase and dopamine beta-monooxygenase.