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Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR
Published on: December 16, 2013
Structural and solid state 31P NMR studies of the four-coordinate copper(I) complexes [Cu(PPh3)3X] and
John V Hanna1, Sue E Boyd, Peter C Healy
1ANSTO NMR Facility, c/-Materials Science & Engineering, Private Mail Bag 1, Menai, Australia 2234.
Abstract:
The tris(triphenylphosphine)copper(I) complexes [(PPh3)3CuX] for X = Cl (1), Br (2), I (3), ClO4 (4), BF4 (5), [(PPh3)3CuCl].CH3CN (1a), [Cu(PPh3)3(CH3CN)]X for X = ClO4 (6), BF4 (7), and [Cu(PPh3)3(CH3CN)]X.CH3CN for X = SiF5 (8), PF6 (9) have been studied by solid state 31P CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy together with single crystal X-ray diffraction for compounds (6)-(9), the latter completing the availability of crystal structure data for the series. Compounds (1)-(5) form an isomorphous series in space group P3 (a approximately 19, c approximately 11 A) with three independent molecules in the unit cell, all disposed about 3-fold symmetry axes. Average values (with estimated standard deviations) for the P-Cu-P, P-Cu-X bond angles and Cu-P bond lengths in compounds (1)-(3) are 110.1(6) degrees, 108.8(6) degrees and 2.354(8)A and 115.2(6) degrees, 102.8(9) degrees and 2.306(9)A for compounds (4) and (5). For the acetonitrile solvated compound (1a), the corresponding parameters are 115(4) degrees, 103(3) degrees and 2.309(3)A. The solid state 31P CP/MAS NMR quadrupole distortion parameters, dnu Cu, for (1)-(3) and (1a) are all less than 1 x 10(9) Hz2, despite the changes in donor properties of the halide in (1)-(3), and the coordination geometry of the P3CuX core in (1a). Change of anion to ClO4- and BF4- in compounds (4) and (5) results in a significant increase of dnu Cu to 4.4-5.2 10(9) Hz2 and 5.2-6.0 x 10(9) Hz2, respectively. Compounds (6) and (7) crystallise as isomorphous [Cu(PPh3)3(CH3CN)]X salts in space group Pbca, (a approximately 17.6, b approximately 22.3, c approximately 24.2 A), while compounds (8) and (9) crystallize as isomorphous acetonitrile solvated salts [Cu(PPh3)3(CH3CN)]X.CH3CN in space group P1(a approximately 10.5, b approximately 13.0, c approximately 19.5 A, alpha approximately 104, beta approximately 104, gamma approximately 94 degrees). The P3CuN angular geometries in all four compounds are distorted from tetrahedral symmetry with average P-Cu-P, P-Cu-N angles and Cu-P bond lengths of 115(4) degrees, 103(4) degrees and 2.32(1)A, with dnu Cu ranging between 1.3 and 2.5 x 10(9) Hz2. The solid state 29Si CP/MAS NMR spectrum of the pentafluorosilicate anion in compound (8) is also reported, affording 1J(29Si, 19F) = 146 Hz.
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