Influence of the counter anion and solvent in the structure of copper derivatives with the 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine ligand

Several compounds have been isolated from the reaction between different copper bis(acetylacetonato) derivatives and the potentially bridging ligand 2,3-bis(2-pyridyl)pyrazine (bppz). A compound of formula [Cu(tfacac)₂(bppz)] (1) is obtained when the substituted trifluoromethylacetylacetonato is used. The use of different anions and the unsubstituted acetylacetonato give rise to new derivatives of general formula [{Cu(acac)}₂(μ-bppz)₂]X₂ (X⁻ = BF₄⁻, 2; PF₆⁻, 3; BPh₄⁻, 4). In these compounds the bppz ligand is acting as a bridge by chelating one copper atom and bonding monodentate a second copper atom. The presence of anions with different coordination abilities introduces variations in the copper environment and geometry. When the non-coordinating tetraphenylborate is used different compounds depending on the nature of the solvent are obtained. The dimer 4 was isolated from a methanol/chloroform mixture, while in the absence of chloroform the monomeric compound of formula [Cu(acac)(bppz)(ROH)](BPh₄)·ROH (ROH = MeOH, 5) was obtained. When ethanol was used instead of methanol the analogous derivative 6 (R = EtOH) was isolated. Both species show a mononuclear structure with the copper atom five-coordinated by the chelating acac and bppz ligands and one hydroxo group occupying the apical position. A similar environment for the copper appears in [Cu(tfacac)(bppz)(MeOH)](BPh₄), 7, which shows a dimeric structure through hydrogen bonds interactions. The magnetic susceptibility data of the dimeric compounds show very weak antiferromagnetic interactions between the copper atoms, an expected fact since the bridging bppz ligand is not planar but the monodentate pyridine is more or less perpendicular to the other two aromatic rings, precluding the spin exchange via the π ligand electrons.