The kinetics and thermodynamics of O 2 addition to Co II complexes containing the simple triamine ligand (L) diethylenetriamine ( N-(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine; dien) or N,N' '-dimethyldiethylenetriamine ( N-methyl-N'-[2-(methylamino) . The former, usually referred to as superoxo complexes, tend to be formed with sterically hindered ligands, in nonaqueous solvents, and at low temperatures, whereas in aqueous solutions, they are often only transient in the formation of the latter binuclear m-peroxo species. In fact, it is well-known that in aqueous solution, the formation of a mononuclear Co/O 2 1 : 1 adduct is immediately followed by a dimerization reaction leading to a binuclear mperoxo species in which O 2 bridges two metal ions [4]. The use of different solvent media in studying the same systems would therefore certainly provide a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in O 2 uptake.In addition, recent findings show that N-alkylation of some polyamine ligands strongly affects the redox properties of their metal complexes, since the oxidation tendency of the metal center is decreased when going from complexes of primary polyamines to complexes of tertiary ones [14 ± 19]. Their subsequent O 2 affinity is largely affected by the charge density on the metal center [1] and, therefore, by the s-