Synthesis and crystal structure of the dinuclear copper(II) Schiff base complex mu-hydroxido-mu-chlorido-bis{[bis(trans-2-nitrocinnamaldehyde)-ethylenediamine]chloridocopper(II)} dichloromethane sesquisolvate

摘要

Transition metal complexes of Schiff base ligands have been shown to have particular application in catalysis and magnetism. The chemistry of copper complexes is of interest owing to their importance in biological and industrial processes. The reaction of copper(I) chloride with the bidentate Schiff base N,N'-bis(trans-2-nitrocinnamaldehyde)ethylenediamine {Nca(2)en, systematic name: (1E,1'E,2E,2'E)-N,N'-(ethane-1,2-diy1)bis[3-(2-nitrophenyl)prop-2-en-1-iminell in a 1:1 molar ratio in dichloromethane without exclusion of air or moisture resulted in the formation of the title complex mu-chlorido-mu-hydroxido-bis(chlorido{(1E,l'E,2E,21E)-N,N1-(ethane-1,2-diy1)bis[3-(2-nitrophenyl)prop-2- en-1-imine]-kappa N-2,N'}copper(II)) dichloromethane sesquisolvate, [Cu2Cl3(OH)-(C20H18N4O4)center dot 1.5CH(2)Cl(2). The dinuclear complex has a folded four-membered ring in an unsymmetrical Cu2OCl3 core in which the approximate trigonal bipyramidal coordination displays different angular distortions in the equatorial planes of the two Cu-II atoms; the chloride bridge is asymmetric, but the hydroxide bridge is symmetric. The chelate rings of the two Nca(2)en ligands have different conformations, leading to a more marked bowing of one of the ligands compared with the other. This is the first reported dinuclear complex, and the first five-coordinate complex, of the Nca(2)en Schiff base ligand. Molecules of the dimer are associated in pairs by ring-stacking interactions supported by C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl interactions with solvent molecules; a further ring-stacking interaction exists between the two Schiff base ligands of each molecule.