Copper(II) adducts with N, N, N′, N′-tetramethylethane-1,2-diamine and attempts to prepare trinuclear derivatives

Abstract

We have attempted to prepare complexes of the type [M 3Cl 5(tmen) 3][BPh 4] (tmen=Me 2N(CH 2) 2NMe 2) with M=Cu. Such species are already known for M=Ti, V, Fe, Ni, and Co, but we have been unable to prepare any Cu analogues. The [BPh 4] − appears to reduce Cu II to Cu I and we isolated the known [Cu(tmen) 2][CuCl 2] from reaction mixtures that contained it. Attempts to obviate this reduction by using a different anion were successful, but no triangulo species were isolated. However, during this work we isolated and structurally characterised [{CuF(BF 4)(tmen)} 2] and [{Cu(OH)((BF 4)(tmen)} 2].