Synthesis, crystal structure and spectroscopic properties of a new type of pentanuclear zinc(II) complex

Tetranuclear copper(II) complex of 2-hydroxy-N,N′-bis[1-(2-hydroxyphenyl)ethylidene]propane-1,3-diamine

In the title Schiff base tetra­nuclear copper(II) complex, two discrete environments are present in the structure: CuNO₄ and CuNO₃. Two copper(II) cations are situated in distorted square-pyramidal environment, while two copper(II) cations are located in a slightly square-planar geometry. One bridging acetate group acting in an η¹:η¹-μ₂-mode connects two copper(II) ions, while another bridging acetate group connects three copper(II) ions in an η¹:-η²–μ₃-mode.

The title mol­ecular structure, namely, (μ₃-acetato)(μ₂-acetato)­bis­(μ₃-1,3-bis­{[1-(2-oxidophen­yl)ethyl­idene]amino}­propan-2-olato)tetra­copper(II) monohydrate, [Cu₄(C₁₉H₁₉N₂O₃)₂(CH₃CO₂)₂]·H₂O, corresponds to a non-symmetric tetra­nuclear copper complex. The complex exhibits one ligand mol­ecule that connects two copper Cu^II metal centres via its ethano­lato oxygen anion acting in a μ₂-mode and one ligand mol­ecule that connects three copper Cu^II metal centres via its ethano­lato oxygen anion acting in a μ₃-mode. One bridging acetate group acting in an η¹:η¹-μ₂-mode connects two copper(II) ions while another bridging acetate group connects three copper(II) ions in an η¹:-η²-μ₃-mode. A chair-like Cu₃O₃ structure is generated in which the two CuO₄N units are connected by one μ₂-O ethano­late oxygen atom. These two units are connected respectively to the CuO₃N unit via one μ₃-O ethano­late oxygen atom and one μ₂-O atom from an acetate group. The μ₃-O atom also connects one of the CuO₄N units and the CuO₃N unit to another CuO₃N unit, which is out of the chair-like structure. Each of the two penta­coordinated Cu^II cations has a distorted NO₄ square-pyramidal environment. The geometry of each of the two CuNO₃ units is best described as a slightly square-planar environment. A series of intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds is observed. In the crystal, the units are connected by inter­molecular C—H⋯O and O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds, thus forming sheets parallel to the ac plane