Ternary copper(II) complexes with N-carboxymethyl-l-prolinato(2-) ion and imidazole or creatinine: a comparative study of the interligand interactions influencing the molecular recognition and stability.

The compounds {[Cu(CMP)(Him)].H(2)O}(n) (I) and [Cu(CMP)(crea)H(2)O].3H(2)O (II) were synthesized and characterized by X-ray diffraction, thermal, spectral and magnetic methods (CMP=N-carboxymethyl-;l-prolinato(2-) ion, Him=imidazole and crea=creatinine). Appropriate structural comparison with other compounds such as {[Cu(CMP)(H(2)O)].H(2)O}(n), [Cu(crea)(2)Cl(2)] and [Cu(dipeptide)(crea)(H(2)O)(x)].nH(2)O (x=0 or 1) have been made in order to prove that crea can act as an imidazole-like ligand (because it is able to promote the same fac- to mer-CMP tridentate conformational change in copper(II) complexes) as well as to discuss the interligand interactions which control the 'Cu(CMP) complex-crea, molecular recognition processes. In contrast to that found in related ternary complexes, we have concluded that direct CMP-crea interligand interactions are missing in the Cu-CMP-crea complex due to the inappropriate correspondence between the donor and/or acceptor H-bonding properties of these ligands. CMP can only act as H-acceptor by its two terminal carboxylate group, and crea can display H-donor and H-acceptor roles by its exocyclic -NH(2) and O moieties, respectively. That promotes the reinforcement of the Cu-N(crea) bond by a bridge -N-H(crea)...O(aqua) (2.867(3)A, 176.4 degrees).