Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Colors and Magnetism03:02

Colors and Magnetism

12.6K
Color in Coordination Complexes
When atoms or molecules absorb light at the proper frequency, their electrons are excited to higher-energy orbitals. For many main group atoms and molecules, the absorbed photons are in the ultraviolet range of the electromagnetic spectrum, which cannot be detected by the human eye. For coordination compounds, the energy difference between the d orbitals often allows photons in the visible range to be absorbed and emitted, which is seen as colors by the human...
12.6K
Stereoisomerism02:52

Stereoisomerism

12.8K
Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula.
Transition metal complexes often exist as geometric isomers, in which the same atoms are connected through the same types of bonds but with differences in their orientation in space. Coordination complexes with two different ligands in the cis and trans positions from a ligand of interest form isomers. For example, the octahedral [Co(NH3)4Cl2]+ ion has two isomers (Figure 1) In the cis...
12.8K
Structural Isomerism02:34

Structural Isomerism

20.4K
Isomerism in Complexes
Isomers are different chemical species that have the same chemical formula. Structural isomerism of coordination compounds can be divided into two subcategories, the linkage isomers and coordination-sphere isomers.
Linkage isomers occur when the coordination compound contains a ligand that can bind to the transition metal center through two different atoms. For example, the CN− ligand can bind through the carbon atom or through the nitrogen atom. Similarly, SCN− can...
20.4K
Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Potassium Permanganate02:21

Oxidation of Alkenes: Syn Dihydroxylation with Potassium Permanganate

14.2K
Alkenes can be dihydroxylated using potassium permanganate.  The method encompasses the reaction of an alkene with a cold, dilute solution of potassium permanganate under basic conditions to form a cis-diol along with a brown precipitate of manganese dioxide.
14.2K
Metal-Ligand Bonds02:51

Metal-Ligand Bonds

22.5K
The hemoglobin in the blood, the chlorophyll in green plants, vitamin B-12, and the catalyst used in the manufacture of polyethylene all contain coordination compounds. Ions of the metals, especially the transition metals, are likely to form complexes.
In these complexes, transition metals form coordinate covalent bonds, a kind of Lewis acid-base interaction in which both of the electrons in the bond are contributed by a donor (Lewis base) to an electron acceptor (Lewis acid). The Lewis acid in...
22.5K
Coordination Number and Geometry02:57

Coordination Number and Geometry

17.2K
For transition metal complexes, the coordination number determines the geometry around the central metal ion. Table 1 compares coordination numbers to molecular geometry. The most common structures of the complexes in coordination compounds are octahedral, tetrahedral, and square planar.
17.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A Ferrocene Metal-Ligand Triplet Diradical with a Terminal Iminyl Group Discovered by Time-Resolved Mid-Infrared Spectroscopy.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Decomposition of Magnetic Coupling in μ-Oxo-Bridged Metal Complexes.

Journal of chemical theory and computation·2026
Same author

Accurate <sup>19</sup>F NMR chemical shifts in Fe(II) complexes with the LH20t local hybrid functional.

Physical chemistry chemical physics : PCCP·2026
Same author

<i>In Crystallo</i> Synthesis of a Triplet Silver Nitrene.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026
Same author

Iron to Cobalt Swapping in a Bioinspired Heme-Peroxidase: Structural Characterization and Functional Implications.

Inorganic chemistry·2026
Same author

Probing Hydrogen Activation in a Dimetal Dihydride Complex by Symmetric Exchange with Parahydrogen.

Journal of the American Chemical Society·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
11:04

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Published on: September 7, 2019

9.4K

Structurally Characterized μ-1,2-Peroxo/Superoxo Dicopper(II) Pair.

Alexander Brinkmeier1, Roland A Schulz1, Moritz Buchhorn2

  • 1Institut für Anorganische Chemie, Universität Göttingen, Tammannstraße 4, D-37077 Göttingen, Germany.

Journal of the American Chemical Society
|June 30, 2021
PubMed
Summary

This study reports the first crystallographic structure of a superoxo dicopper(II) complex, a key intermediate in copper-oxygen chemistry. This structural insight explains the facile interconversion between superoxo and peroxo dicopper species.

More Related Videos

[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst
09:12

[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: May 21, 2019

9.5K
Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR
14:44

Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR

Published on: December 16, 2013

9.8K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Oct 31, 2025

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides
11:04

Ion Mobility-Mass Spectrometry Techniques for Determining the Structure and Mechanisms of Metal Ion Recognition and Redox Activity of Metal Binding Oligopeptides

Published on: September 7, 2019

9.4K
[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst
09:12

[DPEPhosbcpCu]PF6: A General and Broadly Applicable Copper-Based Photoredox Catalyst

Published on: May 21, 2019

9.5K
Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR
14:44

Structure and Coordination Determination of Peptide-metal Complexes Using 1D and 2D 1H NMR

Published on: December 16, 2013

9.8K

Area of Science:

  • Bioinorganic Chemistry
  • Coordination Chemistry
  • Oxidation Catalysis

Background:

  • Superoxo complexes of copper are crucial in oxygen-activating metalloenzymes and oxidation reactions.
  • Their high reactivity makes isolation and structural characterization challenging.
  • Previous work established thermochemical data but lacked structural details of dicopper(II) superoxo species.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report the first crystallographic structure of a superoxo dicopper(II) species.
  • To characterize its peroxo congener and their interconversion.
  • To provide structural insights into the reactivity of these key copper-oxygen intermediates.

Main Methods:

  • Crystallographic structure determination of superoxo and peroxo dicopper(II) complexes.
  • Electrochemical studies to determine redox potentials and reversibility.
  • Spectroscopic analysis (IR, EPR) and magnetic measurements.
  • Density functional theory (DFT) calculations.

Main Results:

  • First crystallographic structure of a superoxo dicopper(II) species (3) and its peroxo congener (2) determined.
  • Reversible 1e- interconversion between complexes 2 and 3 at low potential (-0.58 V vs Fc/Fc+).
  • Structural and spectroscopic data confirm redox activity at the O2-derived unit.
  • CuII-superoxo-CuII complex exhibits an S=1/2 spin ground state.
  • DFT calculations reveal shallow potential energy surfaces for dihedral angle changes.

Conclusions:

  • The study provides the first structural characterization of a superoxo dicopper(II) complex.
  • Structural and computational findings explain the facile, low-reorganization energy interconversion of μ-1,2-superoxo/peroxo dicopper(II) couples.
  • These results offer a foundation for further investigations into copper-oxygen chemistry and related enzymatic mechanisms.