To obtain insights into the role of the carboxylate group of Glu73 in the active site of quercetin 2,4-dioxygenase (2,4-QD), the copper(II) complexes [Cu II Ln(AcO)] [1 (Ln = L1), 2 (Ln = L2), 3 (Ln = L3), and 4 (Ln = L4)] supported by a series of carboxylate-containing ligands [L1H = 2-{[bis(pyridin-2ylmethyl)amino]methyl}benzoic acid; L2H = 3-{[bis(pyridin-2ylmethyl)amino]methyl}benzoic acid,; L3H = 2-({bis[2-(pyridin-2yl)ethyl]amino}methyl)benzoic acid; L4H = 3-({bis[2-(pyridin-2yl)ethyl]amino}methyl)benzoic acid] as well as the ternary Cu II flavonolate (fla -) complexes [Cu II Ln(fla)] [5 (Ln = L1), 6 (Ln = L2), 7 (Ln = L3), and 8 (Ln = L4)] were synthesized and characterized as structural and functional models for the active site[a] 1845 Scheme 2. Structures of ligands LnH.Figure 2. ORTEP drawings of (a) [CuL1(AcO)]·CH 3 OH·H 2 O (1), (b) [CuL2(H 2 O)] 2 [ClO 4 ] 2 ·2H 2 O (2′), (c) [CuL3(AcO)]·2H 2 O (3), and (d) {[CuL4Cl]·H 2 O} n (4′); 50 % probability thermal ellipsoids are shown for 1, and 30 % probability ellipsoids are shown for the others. The non-coordinating counteranions and the hydrogen atoms attached to the carbon atoms are omitted for clarity. Scheme 4. Dioxygenation of the ternary complexes [Cu II Ln(fla)].