Single end to end azido bridged adduct of a tridentate schiff base copper(II) complex: Synthesis, structure, magnetism and catalytic studies

Copper(II) azido complex [CuL(mu(-1,3)-N-3)](n) (1) of a NNO donor tridentate Schiff base (HL = 2-[1-(methy-lamino-ethylimino)-methyl]-phenol containing single end-to-end mu(-1,3)-azido bridged 1D infinite chain has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy. X-ray single crystal structure analysis reveals that in 1, the central copper(II) ion displays a distorted square pyramidal coordination geometry and are linked by single EE azide bridges forming chains running parallel to the crystallographic b axis. The magnetic interaction revealed that 1 is antiferromagnetic in nature (J = -19.5 (+/- 0.2) cm (1)). The catalytic activity of the complex is investigated in a series of solvents for the oxidation of olefins using tert-butyl-hydroperoxide as oxidant. The results showed highest selectivity for 1 in acetonitrile medium. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.