Mechanistic flexibility in the reduction of copper(II) complexes of aliphatic polyamines by mercapto amino acids

The reactions of copper(II)-aliphatic polyamine complexes with cysteine, cysteine methyl ester, penicillamine, and glutathione have been investigated, with the goal of understanding the relationship between RS- -Cu(II) adduct structure and preferred redox decay pathway. Considerable mechanistic flexibility exists within this class of mercapto amino acid oxidations, as changes in the rate law could be induced by modest variations in reductant concentration (at fixed [Cu(II)]0), pH, and the structure of the redox partners. With excess cysteine present at 25 degrees C, pH 5.0, I = 0.2 M (NaOAc), decay of 1:1 cys-S- -Cu(II) transient adducts was found to be first order in both cys-SH and transient. Second-order rate constants characteristic of Cu(dien)2+(6.1 X 10(3) M-1 sec-1), Cu(Me5dien)2+ (2.7 X 10(3) M-1 sec-1), Cu(en)22+ (2.1 X 10(3) M-1 sec-1), and Cu(dien)22+ (4.7 X 10(3) M-1 sec-1) are remarkably similar, considering substantial differences in the composition and geometry of the oxidant first coordination sphere. A mechanism involving attack of cysteine on the coordinated sulfur atom of the transient, giving a disulfide anion radical intermediate, is proposed to account for these results. Moderate reactivity decreases in the cysteine-Cu(dien)2+, Cu(Me5dien)2+ reactions with increasing [H+] (pH 4-6) reflect partial protonation of the polyamine ligands. A very different rate law, second order in the RS- -Cu(II) transient and approximately zeroth order in mercaptan, applies in the pH 5.0 oxidations of cysteine methyl ester, penicillamine, and glutathione by Cu(dien)2+ and Cu(Me5dien)2+. This behavior suggests the intermediacy of di-mu-mercapto-bridged binuclear Cu(II) species, in which a concerted two-electron change yields the disulfide and Cu(I) products. Similar hydroxo-bridged intermediates are proposed to account for the transition from first- to second-order transient dependence in cysteine oxidations by Cu(dien)2+ and Cu(Me5dien)2+ as the pH is increased from 5 to 7. Yet another rate law, second order in transient and first order in cysteine, applies in the pH 5.0 oxidation of cysteine by Cu(Me6tren)2+ (k(25 degrees C) 7.5 X 10(7) M-2 sec-1, I = 0.2M). Steric rigidity of this trigonal bipyramidal oxidant evidently protects the coordinated sulfur atom from attack in a RSSR- -forming pathway. Formation of a coordinated disulfide in the rate-determining step is proposed, coupled with attack of a noncoordinated cysteine molecule on a vacated coordination position to stabilize the (Me6tren)Cu(I) product.