A new five-coordinated copper compound for efficient degradation of methyl orange and Congo red in the absence of UV-visible radiation.

A new copper-based coordination compound Cu2(2,2'-bipy)2(pfbz)4 (1) (where 2,2'-bipy = 2,2'-bipyridine; pfbz = pentafluorobenzoate), was hydrothermally synthesized and structurally characterized. Compound 1 having a binuclear structure consists of two copper cations and two oxygen atoms alternately in a plane square arrangement. In the presence of very small amounts of H2O2, the catalytic properties of compound 1 for the degradation of methyl orange (MO) are excellent in the absence of UV-visible radiation. Moreover, compound 1 presents suitable properties for degradation of Congo red (CR). Our results indicated that the five-coordinated copper compound, 1, will be a promising candidate for efficient degradation of organic dyes.