Nitric Oxide Reduction of the Copper(II) Complex Cu(dmp)22+ (dmp = 2,9-Dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)

The copper(II) complex Cu(dmp)22+ has been shown to be quantitatively reduced by nitric oxide in hydroxylic solvents (ROH; R = CH3, H) to give the corresponding cuprous species Cu(dmp)2+ plus RONO. The analogous phenanthroline complex, Cu(phen)22+ (which has a reduction potential 0.5 V less positive than that of the Cu(dmp)22+) reacts very slowly under similar conditions.