Equilibrium and Kinetic Properties of Cu II Cyclophane Complexes: The Effect of Changes in the Macrocyclic Cavity Caused by Changes in the Substitution at the Aromatic Ring

The o-B232, m-B232 and p-B232 cyclophanes result from attaching the terminal amine groups of 1,4,8,11-tetraazaundecane (232) to the benzylic carbons of the corresponding o-, m- or p-xylanes. The cavity size of these cyclophanes changes moderately as a consequence of the substitution at the aromatic ring. The effects caused by these changes on the equilibrium constants for protonation and CuII complex formation of the cyclophanes are analyzed and compared with those of the noncyclic 232 polyamine. All three cyclophanes form mononuclear complexes, but only o-B232 is able to coordinate to CuII through the four amine groups simultaneously, whereas m-B232 and p-B232 can only use three nitrogen d…