Potentiometric and spectrometric study: Copper(II), nickel(II) and zinc(II) complexes with potentially tridentate and monodentate ligands

Equilibrium and solution structural study of mixed-metal–mixed-ligand complexes of Cu(II), Ni(II) and Zn(II) with L-cysteine, L-threonine and imidazole are conducted in aqueous solution by potentiometry and spectrophotometry. Stability constants of the binary, ternary and quaternary complexes are determined at 25 plus-minus 1C and in I = 0,1 M NaClO4. The results of these two methods are made selfconsistent, then rationalized assuming an equilibrium model including the species H3A, H2A, A, BH, B, M(OH), M(OH)2, M(A), MA(OH), M(B), M(A)(B), M2(A)2(B), M2(A)2(B–H), M1M2(A)2(B) and M1M2(A)2(B–H) (where the charges of the species have been ignored for the sake of simplicity) (A = L-cysteine, L-threonine, salicylglycine, salicylvaline and BH = imidazole). Evidence of the deprotonation of BH ligand is available at alkaline pH. N1H deprotonation of the bidentate coordinated imidazole ligand in the binuclear species at pH > 70 is evident from spectral measurements. Stability constants of binary M(A), M(B) and ternary M(A)(B) complexes follow the Irving–Williams order.