Insertion reactions of organic anhydrides and the Cu(I) alkoxide [CuOtBu]

The synthesis and structural characterization of the copper salts [Cu8(benzoate)8(THF)6] (1), [Cu2{(CO2)2C6H2(Boc)2}dppm2]2 (2) and [Cu2{(CO2)2C10H4(Boc)2}dppm2]2 (3) [Boc = tert-butoxycarbonyl, dppm = 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)methane] prove that cyclic organic anhydrides and dianhydrides readily insert into the Cu–O bond of [CuOtBu] forming carboxylate ligands with ester functionalities in the ligand periphery. [Mn3(o-Boc-benzoate)6(DME)2] (4) (DME = 1,2-dimethoxyethane) was synthesized by the metathesis reaction of [Cu(I)(o-Boc-benzoate)] with MnCl2.