A double arene hydroxylation mediated by dicopper(II)-hydroperoxide species.

The dicopper(II) complex [Cu(2)(L)](4+) (L = alpha,alpha'-bis[bis[2-(1'-methyl-2'-benzimidazolyl)ethyl]amino]-m-xylene) reacts with hydrogen peroxide to give the dicopper(II)-hydroquinone complex in which the xylyl ring of the ligand has undergone a double hydroxylation reaction at ring positions 2 and 5. The dihydroxylated ligand 2,6-bis([bis[2-(3-methyl-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)ethyl]amino]methyl)benzene-1,4-diol was isolated by decomposition of the product complex. The incorporation of two oxygen atoms from H(2)O(2) into the ligand was confirmed by isotope labeling studies using H(2)(18)O(2).