Source of materialA solution of 0.2 g (0.8 mmol) of 1,3-bis(3,5-dimethylpyrazol-1-yl)propan-2-ol (Hdpzhp) [1] in 20 ml of methanol was treated with 32 mg (0.8 mmol) of NaOH and stirred further for 30 min at room temperature. This ligand solution was combined with a solution of 0.178 g (0.8 mmol) of CuBr 2 in 20 ml of methanol and stirred further for 1 h. The resulting dark blue solution was filtered and allowed to stand at RT. Large dark blue single crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction were formed after a few days. Elemental Analysis: found C, 39.79 %; H, 5.12 %; N, 13.58 %; calc. for C 28H46Br2Cu2N8O4 C, 39.77 %; H, 5.48 %; N, 13.25 %.
DiscussionCopper proteins with a type-3 site, like hemocyanin and the enzymes tyrosinase and catechol oxidase are important dioxygenprocessing proteins [2][3][4][5][6]. These metallo-enzymes, which use molecular oxygen from air as the primary oxidant, are generally considered as very sophisticated catalysts. Their reactions are very fast and highly efficient while operating under mild conditions with high substrate specificity, regio-selectivity and yield, and having mostly water as the only ¢waste¢ product [7]. The title crystal structure consists of a [Cu 2(MeOH)2(dpzhp)2] 2+ cation and two Br anions. The cation is a dinuclear copper complex coordinated by two methanol molecules and two molecules of ligand bridged to each other by means of two alkoxo oxygen atoms. The Cu1Cu1A distance is 3.030(2) Å, which agrees well with the corresponding distances of 2.990. Each copper ion is coordinated by two nitrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms of two ligands in a distorted square-planar environment. The average terminal CuN(pyrazole) distance (1.961 Å) is comparable to that reported [1] and the average bridging CuO(alcoholic hydroxy) bond distance (1.925 Å) is similar to those of reported complexes. In this complex, the N1Cu1N3 and Cu1O1O1¢ angles are 102.3(2)°and 76.2(2)°. The axial Cu1Br1 and Cu1O2(methanol) distances are 3.948(2) Å and 2.757(7) Å, respectively. The oxygen atoms of the methanol groups contact the Br atoms through OH···Br hydrogen bonds (3.214(6) Å) in a molecular layer.