Synthesis, structure and superoxide dismutase activity of a novel tetranuclear copper(II) complex Na2[Cu4Na2(TACNTA)4(H2O)6]·(H2O)26

A novel tetranuclear copper(II) complex Na2[Cu4Na2(TACNTA)4(H2O)6]·(H2O)26, where TACNTA is 1,4,7-triazacyclononane-1,4,7-triacetate, was synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The result shows that each copper(II) ion is six-coordinated to three nitrogen atoms and three oxygen atoms of ligand TACNTA and adopts distorted octahedral coordination geometry. The superoxide (·O2−) dismutation activity of the complex was also investigated by the riboflavin–methionine–nitro blue tetrazolium assay.