Ultraviolet–circular dichroism spectra for structural analysis of copper(II) complexes with aliphatic and aromatic ligands in aqueous solution

Abstract

An attempt has been made to identify the characteristic positions, and their eventual displacements with changing co-ordination, of the charge-transfer bands involving donor groups located on molecules of biological interest [L-malic acid, N-acetyl-L-aspartic acid, (1R,2R)-cyclohexane-1,2-diamine, L-alanyl-L-alanine, L-γ-glutamyl-L-ε-lysine, N-acetyl-L-histidine, β-alanyl-L-histidine and N-benzoylglycyl-L-histidyl-L-leucine] such as carboxylate, alcoholate, amine, deprotonated peptide and imidazole. Information about the species formed in solution was obtained by means of pH-metric readings while ultraviolet–circular dichroism spectra were recorded, at fixed pH values, 298 K and I= 0.1 mol dm^–3, for the proton–ligand and proton–copper(II)–ligand systems, in order to evaluate a spectrum for each complex formed in solution. Intraligand and charge-transfer bands were assigned for each spectrum with the aim of relating spectral features to the structure of the species formed in solution.