Activation of O2 by a binuclear copper(I) compound. Hydroxylation of a new xylyl-binucleating ligand to produce a phenoxy-bridged binuclear copper(II) complex; X-ray crystal structure of [Cu2{OC6H3[CH2N(CH2CH2py)2]2-2,6}(OMe)](py = 2-pyridyl)

Reaction of O2 with a binuclear CuI species derived from a new meta-xylyl-binucleating ligand, NNN′N′-tetrakis[2-(2-pyridyl)ethyl]-α,α′-diamino-m-xylene [m-xyl(py)], has resulted in hydroxylation of the ligand to produce the binuclear CuII complex (1); the X-ray crystal structure of the dication of (1) shows two pentaco-ordinate CuII ions bridged by the phenoxy-group of the ligand and a methoxy-group.