Copper complexes of the non-innocent β-diketiminate ligand containing phenol groups.

A new type of non-innocent β-diketiminate ligand having redox active phenol groups (LH(3), fully protonated form) has been developed, and the structure, physical properties and reactivity of the supported copper(II) complex [Cu(II)(L(3-))](-) (L(3-), fully deprotonated tri-anionic form) as well as the one-electron and two-electron oxidised complexes, [Cu(II)(L˙(2-))] and [Cu(II)(L(-))](+), have been examined in detail. The two-electron oxidised form [Cu(II)(L(-))](+) exhibited hydrogen atom abstraction ability from 1,4-cyclohexadiene (CHD), whereas the one-electron oxidised form [Cu(II)(L˙(2-))] was found to disproportionate into [Cu(II)(L(3-))](-) and [Cu(II)(L(-))](+) during the course of the reaction with CHD.