| Abstract |
The reaction of the tripodal tetradentate dibasic ligand 6,6 -(2-(pyridin-2-yl) ethylazanediyl) bis(methylene)bis( 2,4-di-tert-butylphenol), H2L1 I, with [(VO)-O-IV(acac) 2] in CH3CN gives the VVO-complex, [(VO)-O-V(acac)(L-1)] 1. Crystallisation of 1 in CH3CN at similar to 0 degrees C gives dark blue crystals of 1, while at room temperature it affords dark green crystals of [\VVO(L1)\(2)mu-O] 3. Upon prolonged treatment of 1 in MeOH, [(VO)-O-V(OMe)(MeOH)(L-1)](2) is obtained. All three complexes were analysed by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, depicting a distorted octahedral geometry around vanadium. In the reaction of H2L1 with (VOSO4)-O-IV partial hydrolysis of the tripodal ligand results in the elimination of the pyridyl fragment of L-1 and the formation of H[(VO2)-O-V(L-2)] 4 containing the ONO tridentate ligand 6,6 -azanediylbis(methylene) bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenol), H2L2 II. Compound 4, which was not fully characterised, undergoes dimerization in acetone yielding the hydroxido- bridged [\VVO(L-2)\2 mu-(OH)(2)] 5 having a distorted octahedral geometry around each vanadium. In contrast, from a solution of 4 in acetonitrile, the dinuclear compound [\(VO)-O-V(L-2)\(2 mu)-O] 6 is obtained, with a trigonal bipyramidal geometry around each vanadium. The methoxido complex 2 is successfully employed as a functional catechol-oxidase mimic in the oxidation of catechol to o-quinone under air. The process was confirmed to follow a Michaelis-Menten type kinetics with respect to catechol, the V-max and K-M values obtained being 7.66 x 10(-6) M min(-1) and 0.0557 M, respectively, and the turnover frequency is 0.0541 min(-1). A similar reaction with the bulkier 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol proceeded at a much slower rate. Complex 2 was also used as a catalyst precursor for the oxidative bromination of thymol in aqueous medium. The selectivity shows quite interesting trends, namely when not using excess of the primary oxidizing agent, H2O2, the para mono-brominated product corresponds to similar to 93\% of the products and no dibromo derivative is formed. |
