Studies on a model copper mono-oxygenase system: peroxo–CuII binuclear intermediates in the hydroxylation of an aromatic ring

Abstract

Hydrogen peroxide reacts with a Cu^II complex of a m-xylyl binucleating ligand with concomitant hydroxylation to give a phenoxo-bridged complex (previously found as the product of the reaction of dioxygen with the Cu^I analogue) whereas a newly synthesized mononuclear analogue is unreactive, thereby implicating µ-peroxo–Cu^II intermediates in the hydroxylation reaction.