The structural basis for the enhanced oxygenase activity of copper acetate dimers encapsulated in zeolites

The oxygenase mimicking activity of copper acetate dimers in the regioselective ortho-hydroxylation of L-tyrosine to L-dopa is enhanced on encapsulation in zeolite Y. The structure and magnetic properties of the catalytic active site were characterized by EPR spectroscopy. The spectra of this "zeozyme" reveal the presence of (1) copper acetate dimers in the supercages and (2) isolated Cu(II) ions in the sodalite cages of the zeolite. There are significant differences in the EPR spectra of the "neat" and encapsulated complexes: on encapsulation in zeolite, the Cu-Cu exchange coupling constant, -J, increases to 310 from 259 cm(-1) for the "neat" complex (i.e., by about 19.7%). Simultaneously the Cu-Cu separation in the dimer, estimated indirectly from the exchange coupling constant, shortens to 2.40 Angstrom in the encapsulated state from 2.64 Angstrom in the "neat" complex. There is, hence, a relatively greater overlap of the metal orbitals of the dimer copper atoms inside the restricted confines of the zeolite cages. The consequent, enhanced, trans axial lability of the phenolate and dioxygen ligands promotes the catalytic oxygenase activity of copper acetate dimers on encapsulation in zeolites. A causal relationship between changes in the structural features of an active site on encapsulation in the zeolite and the corresponding catalytic activity has, thus, been established.