Interplay of electronic and geometric structure on Cu phenanthroline, bipyridine and derivative complexes, synthesis, characterization, and reactivity towards oxygen

•Electronic aspects of Cu(I) and Cu(II) metal complexes.•Intricate mechanisms of helicate formation and chiral separation.•Generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from copper complexes.•Oxygen reduction and water oxidation mediated by copper complexes.•Charge injection onto TiO2 by copper complexes and ultrafast rearrangement of copper complexes structures.