Paola Piu, Gavino Sanna, Andreina Masia, Maria Antonietta Zoroddu and Renato Seeber
A series of ternary systems consisting of copper(II),
oxidised glutathione (a S–S′ bonded hexapeptide) and five
differently substituted 1,10-phenanthrolines has been studied in aqueous
solvent in the range pH 3–8. The stability constants of the
complexes formed, together with the relevant distributions as a function
of pH, have been evaluated by elaboration of data from acid–base
potentiometric titrations. Electron paramagnetic resonance and
electronic spectroscopy have been used to identify the chromophore in
the 1:
1
:
1 complexes, i.e. the
ternary species are in all cases the predominant ones at pH close to the
physiological values. The data from the spectroscopic measurements, when
considered together with the trend in stability constant values, allowed
reasonable hypotheses about the effect of the substituents on the
phenanthroline ring on the stability and configuration of the
complexes.