Biological activity of mixed chelate copper(II) complexes, with substituted diimine and tridentate Schiff bases (NNO) and their hydrogenated derivatives as secondary ligands: Casiopeína's fourth generation.

We synthesize and characterize nine copper(II) compounds. Four with general formula [Cu(NNO)(NO)] and five mixed chelates [Cu(NNO)(N-N)], where NNO corresponds to asymmetric salen ligands (E)-2-((2-(methylamino)ethylimino)methyl)phenolate (L1) and (E)-3-((2-(methylamino)ethylimino)methyl)naphthalenolate (LN1); and their hydrogenated derivatives 2-((2-(methylamino)ethylamino)methyl)phenolate (LH1) and 3-((2-(methylamino)ethylamino)methyl)naphthalenolate (LNH1); and N-N correspond to 4,4'-dimethyl-2,2'-bipiridyne(dmbpy) or 1,10-phenanthroline (phen). Using EPR, the geometries of the compounds in solution in DMSO were assigned, [Cu(LN1)(NO)] and [Cu(LNH1)(NO)] a square-planar, [Cu(L1)(NO)], [Cu(LH1)(NO)], [Cu(L1)(dmby)] and [Cu(LH1)(dmby)] a square-based pyramid; and [Cu(LN1)(dmby)], [Cu(LNH1)(dmby)] and [Cu(L1)(phen)] and elongated octahedral.