Bis(dicyanamido)(diethylenetriamine-kappa(3)N)copper(II) and (dicyanamido)(triethylenetetramine-kappa(4)N)copper(II) dicyanamide.

Two new complexes, [Cu(C(2)N(3))(2)(dien)] (dien is diethylenetriamine, C(4)H(13)N(3)), (I), and [Cu(C(2)N(3))(trien)](C(2)N(3)) (trien is triethylenetetramine, C(6)H(18)N(4)), (II), have been characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both complexes display a distorted tetragonal-pyramidal geometry. In (I), the Cu atom is coordinated in the basal plane by three diethylenetriamine N atoms [Cu-N = 2.000 (2), 2.004 (2) and 2.025 (2) A] and one terminal N atom [Cu-N = 1.974 (2) A] from one monodentate dicyanamide group, and in the apical position by one terminal N atom [Cu-N = 2.280 (2) A] from the other monodentate dicyanamide group. In (II), the Cu atom is surrounded by four triethylenetetramine N atoms [Cu-N = 2.012 (2), 2.014 (2), 2.019 (2) and 2.031 (2) A in the basal plane] and a terminal N atom [Cu-N = 2.130 (2) A in the apical site] from one monodentate dicyanamide group. The other dicyanamide anion is not directly coordinated to the metal atom. In both (I) and (II), hydrogen-bond interactions between the uncoordinated terminal N atoms of two dicyanamide ions and the amine H atoms lead to the formation of three-dimensional networks.