Copper(II) Complexes and Their Properties

A special issue of Inorganics (ISSN 2304-6740). This special issue belongs to the section "Coordination Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 2475

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, University of Maribor, Smetanova 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: coordination compounds; materials chemistry; thermal analysis

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, University of Maribor, Koroška Cesta 160, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
Interests: coordination compounds; X-ray diffraction; coordination chemistry; synthesis; crystal structure

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Copper is an essential trace element that plays a pivotal role in numerous physiological processes in the human body, including iron absorption and the formation of red blood cells. Copper coordination compounds have attracted significant attention due to their redox activity, particularly the facile interconversion between copper(I) and copper(II) oxidation states. In addition, copper-based complexes have demonstrated promising antitumor and antimicrobial properties.

Despite their long history of research and recent advancements, many challenges remain in the field. One of the most critical factors influencing the structure and function of copper complexes is the selection of appropriate ligands, which must support the formation of stable compounds with diverse geometries.

This Special Issue invites original research and review articles focusing on copper(II) coordination compounds, including their structural characteristics, thermal behavior, and magnetic properties. We particularly welcome contributions reporting unusual or novel structures, as well as studies exploring their potential applications in materials science. Manuscripts addressing biomedical applications of copper coordination compounds are also strongly encouraged.

Dr. Matjaž Kristl
Dr. Brina Dojer
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • coordination chemistry
  • copper(II) complexes
  • crystal structure
  • thermal analysis
  • magnetic properties
  • antitumor drugs
  • antibacterial agents

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

27 pages, 6050 KB  
Article
Copper Complexes with Phosphorylated Dithiocarbamates in Aqueous Media: Complexation, Structures and Redox Activity
by Nikita S. Aksenin, Mikhail S. Bukharov, Alexander A. Rodionov, Yury I. Kuzin, Aidar T. Gubaidullin, Daut R. Islamov, Valery G. Shtyrlin and Nikita Yu. Serov
Inorganics 2026, 14(4), 114; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics14040114 - 15 Apr 2026
Viewed by 1044
Abstract
Copper dithiocarbamate complexes have long been known and are relevant in biology, medicine and material science; however, their low solubility in water can be a limitation. Therefore, the search for modified ligands is an important task. Copper complexes with five phosphorylated dithiocarbamates were [...] Read more.
Copper dithiocarbamate complexes have long been known and are relevant in biology, medicine and material science; however, their low solubility in water can be a limitation. Therefore, the search for modified ligands is an important task. Copper complexes with five phosphorylated dithiocarbamates were investigated in aqueous solutions by several experimental and theoretical methods. Copper(II) bis-complex formation constants were obtained from spectrophotometric titrations. Based on UV-vis and EPR spectroscopy data, the presence of monoligand complexes (in excess copper) and hydroxy-forms (under basic conditions) was revealed. The structures of the obtained forms were optimized using DFT calculations. The instability of complexes under neutral and acidic conditions was established and interpreted by the dimerization upon protonation. This assumption is supported by association constants derived from quantum chemically computed Gibbs free energies for protonated and non-protonated copper(II) bis-dithiocarbamate complexes. Crystal structures of protonated binuclear and non-protonated mononuclear complexes were established using X-ray diffraction. The redox properties of the complexes were studied by cyclic voltammetry; the electrochemical behavior of the complexes was strongly influenced by pH. The scheme of the copper(I)/(II)/(III) species transformations, including chemical and electrochemical stages, is proposed on the base of experimental data and quantum-chemical calculation results. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Copper(II) Complexes and Their Properties)
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19 pages, 4285 KB  
Article
Copper(II) Bromide Complexes: Crystal Structures, Magnetic Properties, and Hydrogen-Bond-Mediated Exchange
by Žan Zakošek, Evgeny Goreshnik, Zvonko Jagličić and Srečo Škapin
Inorganics 2026, 14(2), 54; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics14020054 - 11 Feb 2026
Viewed by 844
Abstract
Copper(II) compounds exhibit interesting magnetic properties due to halide–halide, copper–halide, and intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions. In this study, seven new copper(II) bromide complexes were synthesised, six of which contain Dabco (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) as a ligand. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were refined using both conventional [...] Read more.
Copper(II) compounds exhibit interesting magnetic properties due to halide–halide, copper–halide, and intermolecular hydrogen bond interactions. In this study, seven new copper(II) bromide complexes were synthesised, six of which contain Dabco (1,4-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]octane) as a ligand. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction data were refined using both conventional spherical-atom models and a non-spherical-atom approach implemented in NoSpherA2. Magnetic properties were investigated by temperature-dependent magnetic susceptibility and field-dependent magnetisation measurements, analysed using a molecular field approximation. Crystallographic analysis shows that NoSpherA2 significantly improves the description of hydrogen atom positions, yielding C–H and N–H bond lengths closer to neutron diffraction values than conventional refinement. Magnetic measurements indicate that interactions between mononuclear copper(II) centres are determined primarily by the nature of intermolecular exchange pathways rather than copper–copper separations alone. Despite comparable Cu···Cu distances, complexes lacking N–H···Br hydrogen bonds exhibit only weak antiferromagnetic interactions, whereas stronger coupling, effective up to 150 K, is observed when such hydrogen bonds connect neighbouring complexes. These results highlight the importance of hydrogen-bond topology and three-dimensional connectivity in governing magnetic behaviour in mononuclear copper(II) systems. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Copper(II) Complexes and Their Properties)
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