2009 Volume 34 Issue 3 Pages 509-512
Previously, the reactions of three μ-η2:η2-disulfidodicopper(II) complexes with N-alkylated cis,cis-1,3,5-triaminocyclohexane derivatives, [Cu2(S2)(R3TACH)]X2 [(R, X) = (Et, CF3SO3) (1), (iBu, SbF6) (2), and (Bn, SbF6) (3)], with PPh3 and BnBr were reported. In order to clarify the relationship between the structures and reactivities, DFT calculations of the two complexes with bent and planar Cu2S2 structures have been performed, and the bond orders around the metals and atomic charges on Cu and S atoms have been estimated. The electron density is localized on Cu and S atoms when the dihedral angle (δ) is decreased; 1.137 and -0.470 for the bent type structure (δ = 156.67 °) and 1.107 and -0.450 for the planar one (δ = 175.56 °), respectively. The reactivity of disulfidodicopper(II) complexes against PPh3 has been explained to depend upon the electrophilicity of Cu atoms and the nucleophilicity of S atoms, which are raised up by bending of two CuS2 planes. These findings show that the disulfides of 1, 2, and 3 are electrophilic against exogenous substrates.