An environmentally friendly protocol is described for an economic, practical laboratory-scale oxidation of primary and secondary alcohols to aldehydes and ketones, using a bis-chloro-bridged binuclear Cu(II) complex [(HL)Cu(𝜇₂-Cl)₂Cu(HL)]*1.5 CH₃OH as catalyst. The catalyst was prepared in situ from commercially available reagents and is characterized by single crystal X-ray analysis, FT-IR, UV-visible spectra, mass spectrometry, and powder x-ray diffraction (PXRD). The geometry of the complex has been optimized using the B3LYP level of theory confirming the experimental data. Our results demonstrated well the efficiency, selectivity and stability of this new catalyst in the oxidation of alcohols in ethanol and tert-butyl hydroperoxide (tBuOOH) as a green solvent and oxidant, respectively. Turnover number and reusability have proven the high efficiency and relative stability of the catalyst.

A ternary mixed ligand Cu(II) complex, [Cu(L)(Phen)], was prepared from the reaction of (E)-N′-((2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)methylene)acetohydrazide [HL], Cu(NO₃)₂.3H₂O and 1,10-Phenanthroline in 1:1:1 molar ratio. This complex was fully characterized using spectroscopic and physicochemical methods. The structure of the complex was determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction. The Cu(II) center is coordinated by two oxygen and one nitrogen donors of L²⁻ and nitrogen atoms of the heterocyclic group. Electrochemical studies of the Cu(II) complex showed shifts in the ligand peaks as well as the appearance of new peaks after complexation. The electrochemical behavior of the Cu(II) complex was also studied using cyclic voltammetry. According to biochemical investigation (MCF-7 cells viability), anticancer activity of [Cu(L)(Phen)] was higher than those of Cu(NO₃)₂.3H₂O, HL and 1,10-Phenanthroline.