Could redox-switched binding of a redox-active ligand to a copper(II) centre drive a conformational proton pump gate? A synthetic model study

A proposal for a redox-linked conformational gate to proton translocation--a proton pump gate--based upon a transition-metal redox-switchable hemilabile ligand (RHL) system is made. Consideration of the requirements for such a system reveals copper(II) to be the ideal metal centre. To test the proposal and, thereby, to provide an artificial proton pump gate, the copper coordination chemistry of three tris(pyridylmethyl)amine (tpa) ligands with one "leg" (PY*) substituted at the 6-position of the pyridine ring by a dimethoxyphenyl (L(1)), a hydroquinone (H(2)L(2)) or a quinone (L(3)) substituent has been investigated. Crystal structures of sp-[Cu(kappa(4)N-L(1))Cl]Cl.3 H(2)O (sp=square pyramidal), sp-[Cu(kappa(3)N-H(2)L(2))Cl(2)] and tbp-[Cu(kappa(4)N,kappaO-HL(2))][PF(6)] (tbp=trigonal bipyramidal) have been determined. The Cu(I) complexes [Cu(L)(MeCN)(n)](+) (L=L(1), H(2)L(2)) display physicochemical properties consistent with a "dangling" PY* leg; from the NMR spectra, the barriers to inversion of the ligand amine donor for the Cu(I) complexes are estimated to be within the range of about 30-45 kJ mol(-1). In the Cu(II) complexes, coordination of the PY* leg is finely balanced and critically depends on the nature of the PY* substituent and the availability of potential co-ligand(s). For example, tbp-[Cu(kappa(4)N-L(1))Cl](+) reacts cleanly with Cl(-) ions to afford sp-[Cu(kappa(3)N-L(1))Cl(2)]; Vis/NIR spectrophotometric titrations suggest the affinity of tbp-[Cu(kappa(4)N-L(1))Cl](+) for Cl(-) ion in dichloromethane is 9.7 x 10(2) and is at least 10(4)-fold greater than that of tbp-[Cu(kappa(4)N-L(3))Cl](+). The complex sp-[Cu(kappa(3)N-H(2)L(2))Cl(2)] has a "dangling" PY* leg, in which an intramolecular OH(hydroquinone).N(pyridine) hydrogen bond "ties-up" the pyridyl nitrogen atom, and reacts with Brønsted bases to give tbp-[Cu(kappa(4)N,kappaO-HL(2))](+). Two-electron oxidation of sp-[Cu(kappa(3)N-H(2)L(2))Cl(2)] is linked to loss of two protons and a conformational change, and affords tbp-[Cu(kappa(4)N-L(3))Cl](+). The [Cu(kappa(3)N-H(2)L(2))Cl(2)]-[Cu(kappa(4)N-L(3))Cl](+) system provides a first demonstration of the critical step in the proposed proton pumping cycle, namely a redox-driven and proton-linked conformational change. The possible biological relevance of this work to proton pumping in cytochrome c oxidase is mentioned.