Nature and Mechanism of Decomposition of the Complex of Copper(I) with 5, 7, 7, 12, 14, 14-Hexamethyl-l, 4, 8, ll-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4, ll-diene in Aqueous Solutions. A Pulse Radiolytic Study

The reduction of Cu^IIL in water by hydrated electrons -CH₂OH, CH₃CHOH, and (CH₃)₂COH were studied. The planar Cu¹L formed is transformed in neutral or slightly acidic solutions to Cu^IIIL-H. Cu^IIIL(planar) and Cu^mL-H are in equilibrium with another form of Cu^IL plausibly with a tetrahedral configuration. The latter form is stable in neutral and alkaline solutions and is identical with the Cu^IL formed electrochemically. In acidic solutions, pH >5.5, Cu^IL decomposes to Cu⁺ + LH₂ ²⁺ in an acid-catalyzed process.