Uptake of gaseous oxygen by aqueous solutions containing cobalt ions and diaminoethane

Abstract

The uptake of oxygen by aqueous solutions containing 1,2-diaminoethane and various cobalt(II) salts is shown to be rapid, with these reagents interacting in the stoicheiometric ratios of 1 : 5 : 2 respectively to give the µ-peroxo-µ-diaminoethano-tetrakisdiaminoethanedicobalt(III) cation (B). This compound slowly equilibrates with the analogous µ-peroxo-µ-hydroxo-species (C), while it may be oxidised to a µ-superoxo-µ-diaminoethano-complex (A). These complexes have been examined by a variety of physical techniques and solutions of the µ-peroxo-species have been shown to react with gaseous carbon dioxide to yield the carbonato-bisdiaminoethane-cobalt(III) complex cation.