Impact of Geometric Changes on the Oxidation of Catechol by Copper(II) Complexes

Abstract

Abstract The synthesis of transition metal complexes which can serve as catalysts for the oxidation of organic molecules involves the search for both more efficient and more selective catalysts.1 The design of complexes in which structural and electronic features are selectively varied allows the analysis of structure/activity relationships in the study of their oxídation chemistry. Successful probing of these features would therefore allow a more fundamental understanding of the catalysts' properties. We are particularly interested in the air oxidation of catechol to quinone (shown below), since this is one of the reactions catalyzed by the copper-containing enzyme tyrosinase.2