Cover Feature: Copper and Nickel Complexes of Oxamate−Phenol Containing Ligands: A Structural Dichotomy in Oxidized Species (Eur. J. Inorg. Chem. 15/2023)

The Cover Feature shows a redox-active complex combining phenols and oxamato units. Two phenol units (Schiff base, aminophenol) and two metal ions (copper, nickel) were used, but, whatever the structure, the oxidation is ligand-centered, affording phenoxyl radical species. Hence the oxamato linker does not orientate the oxidation site towards the metal. Counter-intuitively, the Schiff base is easier to oxidize than the aminophenol derivative. Both copper complexes catalyze the oxidation of benzyl alcohol into benzaldehyde and benzoic acid, albeit with different time scales. More information can be found in the Research Article by O. Jarjayes, F. Thomas and co-workers.