Copper dioxygen (bio) inorganic chemistry

Cu/O(2) intermediates in biological, homogeneous, and heterogeneous catalysts exhibit unique spectral features that reflect novel geometric and electronic structures that make significant contributions to reactivity. This review considers how the respective intermediate electronic structures overcome the spin forbidden nature of O(2) binding, activate O(2) for electrophilic aromatic attack and H-atom abstraction, catalyze the 4 e(-) reduction of O(2) to H(2)O, and discusses the role of exchange coupling between Cu ions in determining reactivity.