Influence of counterions on the structure of bis(oxazoline) copper(II) complexes; an EPR and ENDOR investigation

X- and Q-band EPR and ENDOR spectroscopy was used to study the structure of a series of heteroleptic and homoleptic copper bis(oxazoline) complexes, based on the (−)-2,2′-isopropylidenebis[(4S)-4-phenyl-2-oxazoline] ligand and bearing different counterions (chloride versus triflate); labelled [CuII(1a–c)]. The geometry of the two heteroleptic complexes, [CuII(1a)] and [CuII(1c)], depended on the choice of counterion. Formation of the homoleptic complex was only evident when the CuII(OTf)2 salt was used (CuII(Cl)2 inhibited the transformation from heteroleptic to homoleptic complexes). The hyperfine and quadrupole parameters for the surrounding ligand nuclei were determined by ENDOR. Well resolved 19F and 1H couplings confirmed the presence of both coordinated water and TfO− counterions in [Cu(1a)]