Syntheses and crystal structures of Cu(II) and Zn(II) complexes of 2,2 '-dipyridyl(N-propenyl)amine

Reaction between copper(II)- and zinc(II)-nitrates and 2,2'-dipyridyl(N-propenyl)amine (Prdpa) affords 1:1 complexes M(Prdpa)(NO3)(2) (M = Cu, 1; M = Zn, 5) for both metal ions and a 1:2 adduct M(Prdpa)(2)(NO3)(2) (2) for copper only. In ethanol I dissociates to form 2 and copper nitrate. X-ray diffraction studies on 1, 2 and 5, and on the 2,2'-dipyridylamine (Hdpa) analogue of 1, Cu(Hdpa)(NO3)2 (4), are reported. The metal centres exhibit square pyramidal (1) or distorted octahedral (2, 4, 5) primary coordination spheres. Bridging nitrate groups linking Cu atoms in 1 and 4 result in -Cu-O-N-O-Cu- chains, which in the case of 4 are extensively cross-linked by N-H . . . ONO2 H-bonding into 3D-arrays. Intermolecular C-H . . . ONO2 interactions are apparent in the solid-state structure of 2. The structural effects of replacing the N-H atom on Hdpa by a propenyl group in 6-coordinate Cu(II) complexes are assessed. Crown Copyright (C) 2001 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.