Study of Copper(II) Polyazamacrocyclic Complexes by Electronic Absorption Spectrophotometry and EPR Spectroscopy

Copper(II) mononuclear complexes with the polyazamacrocyclic ligands NOTA (1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N′,N″triacetate), DOTA (1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclo-dodecane-N,N′,N″,N″′-tetraacetate), NOTP [1,4,7-triazacyclononane-N,N′,N″-tris(methylenephosphonate)] and DOTP [1,4,7,10tetraazacyclododecane-N,N′,N″,N‴-tetrakis(methylenephosphonate)] were characterised in aqueous solution by electronic absorption spectrophotometry and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. While two isomeric species were detected by EPR spectroscopy in frozen samples of the polycarboxylate complexes, only one complex form was found for the poly(methylenephosphonate) systems. The results obtained are in accordance with a six-coordinate pattern for the metal centre, yielding tetragonally distorted complexes in solution, in agreement with previously reported studies on CuII complexes, both in solution and in the solid state.