X-ray crystal structures of copper(II) and cobalt(II) complexes with Schiff base ligands. Reactivity towards dioxygen

Copper(II) and cobalt(II) Schiff base complexes with derivatives of the pentadentate ligand bis(salicylideneimino-3-propyl)amine [H2salDPT] have been prepared. The X-ray crystal structures of the copper(II) complexes Cu[salDPT] and Cu[sal(n-propyltrimethylsilyl)DPT] were determined and revealed five-coordination at the metal centre in both cases. The 1 ∶ 1 dioxygen adduct of Co[sal(n-propyltrimethylsilyl)DPT] was also isolated and its X-ray molecular structure determined.