Synthesis, spectroscopic and structural characterization of some novel adducts of copper(II) salts with unidentate nitrogen bases

Syntheses, spectroscopic characterization and single crystal X-ray studies are reported for a number of complexes of copper(II) salts with simple monodentate nitrogen bases. The 1:4 adduct of copper(II) sulfate with 3,5-dimethylpyridine (m₂py) CuSO₄·4m₂py, takes the form [(O₃SO)Cu(m₂py)₄], the Cu-O vector of the square-pyramidal coordination environment being disposed on the 4-axis in tetragonal space group P4/n. The complex CuCO₃·Cu(NCS)₂·4py is a linear polymer, taking the form ?O·Cu(py)₂·O·C{O·Cu(py)₂(NCS)₂}·O·Cu(py)₂? (etc.), all atoms lying in the mirror plane of space group Pnma, excepting the pair of ‘py’ (pyridine) ligands disposed to either side. In Cu(OH)I·3/4I₂·2py·1/2MeCN ≡ [{(py)₂Cu(OH)}₄](I₃)₃I·2MeCN a novel cubanoid tetranuclear cation is found (2-symmetry). The EPR spectra of the above compounds show a trend in the anisotropy of the g-values that correlates well with the crystal structures. Obtained only in small quantities but supported by single crystal X-ray studies are the adduct of Cu(OH)Cl with pyrrolidine (pyrr), Cu(OH)Cl:pyrr (1:3), which takes the centrosymmetric binuclear form [(pyrr)₃Cu(μ-OH)₂Cu(pyrr)₃]Cl₂, the copper atom being disposed in a distorted trigonal bipyramidal array, and the adduct 3CuCl₂·CuO·4quin, [Cu₄Cl₆O(quin)₄]Cl₂, which contains the familiar Cu₄Cl₆O core with monodentate quinuclidine (quin) attached to the copper atoms; this compound crystallizes in the cubic space group .