Synthesis, Characterization, and Single-Crystal EPR Studies of Three Dinuclear Copper(II) Complexes and One Mixed-Valence Tetranuclear Copper(I)-Copper(II) Cluster with an Asymmetric Imidazole-Containing Tripodal Ligand with Copper(II)-Copper(II) Distances between 3.35 and 3.63 Å.

The synthesis and characterization of three dinuclear copper(II) complexes and one mixed-valence tetranuclear cluster with the asymmetric imidazole-containing ligand bis(1,1'-imidazole-2-yl)(4-imidazole-4(5)-yl)-2-azabutane (biib) are described. X-ray crystallographic parameters for the copper complexes are as follows. [Cu(2)(biib)(2)(BF(4))(2)](BF(4))(2)(H(2)O)(4): triclinic, space group P&onemacr;, a = 10.178(1) Å, b = 9.4881(9) Å, c = 11.037(1) Å, alpha = 95.130(10) degrees, beta = 112.20(1) degrees, gamma = 92.142(9) degrees, and Z = 1. [Cu(2)(biib)(2)(NO(3))(2)](NO(3))(2)(H(2)O)(4): monoclinic, space group &Pmacr;2(1)/n, a = 9.207(6) Å, b = 17.0516(6) Å, c = 12.6107(7) Å, beta = 109.82(1) degrees, and Z = 2. [Cu(2)(biib)(2)(CuBr(3))(2)]: monoclinic, space group P2(1)/c, a = 11.583(2) Å, b = 11.864(2) Å, c = 16.070(2) Å, beta = 112.459(12) degrees, and Z = 2. The two Cu(II) ions in all four complexes are coordinated in a square-pyramidal geometry by three imidazole nitrogens and one amine nitrogen donor in the equatorial plane, and each copper ion is weakly coordinated at the axial position by respectively a tetrafluoroborate, a perchlorate, a nitrate, or a tribromocuprate(I) anion. By comparison of the structural data of the four complexes a relationship has been established between the donor strength of the anion and some structural features, like the Cu(II)-Cu(II) distance, of the dinuclear Cu(II)-Cu(II) unit in the four complexes. Single-crystal EPR spectra of [Cu(2)(biib)(2)(BF(4))(2)](BF(4))(2)(H(2)O)(4) were recorded at room temperature at X-band frequencies. The triplet spectra have been fit with nonparallel g and D tensors, whose principle values are as follows: g(xx)() = 2.022(8), g(yy)() = 2.060(7), g(zz)() = 2.211(8), D(x)()(')(x)()(') = -0.0182(9) cm(-)(1), D(y)()(')(y)()(') = -0.081(6) cm(-)(1), D(z)()(')(z)()(') = 0.0264(7) cm(-)(1). The compounds were further characterized and studied by ligand field and by frozen-solution and polycrystalline powder EPR spectroscopy. EPR spectra recorded at 77 K of frozen solutions of the perchlorate complex show that upon dilution in methanol the dinuclear complex reacts to form a mononuclear species.