Synthesis, characterization, and the role of counterion in stabilizing trigonal pyramidal copper(I)/2,2′bipyridine complexes containing electron-poor methyl acrylate

Copper(I)/2,2′-bipyridine complexes, [CuI(bpy)(π-CH2CHCOOCH3)][A] View the MathML source(A=CF3SO3-(1),ClO4-(2)andPF6-(3)) have been synthesized and characterized. These complexes are used in copper(I) mediated cyclopropanation and aziridination reactions of methyl acrylate and represent the first class of trigonal pyramidal copper(I) complexes with π-coordinated electron poor olefins. In the case of 1 and 3, weak coordination of the counterion was observed. The counterion View the MathML sourceClO4- was noncoordinating in complex 2, which was dimeric in the solid state with the oxygen atoms of the carbonyl moieties in methyl acrylate bridging two copper(I) centers.