Copper complexes of a novel non-innocent quadridentate ligand

Quadridentate ligand H2L binds Cu(I) to form salt [CuI(H2L)]BF4 which undergoes aerial oxidation in solution with isolation of the diamagnetic salt [CuIIL˙−]BF4 where π-radical anion L˙− is the (1e−, 2H+) oxidation product of H2L.