A new tetranuclear copper(II) complex, {But-C6H2(O)[CH = N-CH2-CH(pz)2]2}2Cu4(μ4-O)(OAc)4 (L2Cu4(μ4-O)(OAc)4, pz = pyrazolyl ring) has been prepared from the condensation reaction of 4-tert-butyl-2,6-diformylphenol with two equivalents of bis(pyrazolyl)ethanamine moieties in the presence of two equivalents of copper(II) acetate. The complex has been characterized by X-ray diffraction studies in solid state, as well as by UV–Vis, IR, and ESI spectroscopies. The structure of this inverse coordination complex consists of a central oxygen ion surrounded by four copper(II) cations residing in the corners of a distorted tetrahedron; the remaining coordination sites of the Cu2+ ions are filled by imine donors and acetate counter-ions, leaving the bis(pyrazolyl)methane donor groups uncoordinated to the copper(II) centers. In contrast to the solid-state structure, this compound was found to be dinuclear in solution, LCu2(OAc)2(OH). The complex catalyzes the oxidation of 3,5-di-tert-butylcatechol (DTBC) and 4-tert-butylcatechol (TBC) to their corresponding quinones. The catalytic mechanism was investigated using DTBC as a substrate, and it was found that the oxidation reaction occurs via two different pathways, one involving molecular oxygen and the other hydrogen peroxide as oxidants.
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