Tetra-kis(μ3-2-{[1,1-bis-(hy-droxy-meth-yl)-2-oxidoeth-yl]imino-meth-yl}-6-nitro-pheno-lato)tetra-copper(II).

The title cluster, [Cu4(C11H12N2O6)4], was obtained from the Cu(0)-FeCl2·4H2O-H4 L-Et3N-DMF reaction system (in air), where H4 L is 2-hy-droxy-methyl-2{[(2-hy-droxy-3-nitro-phen-yl)methyl-idene]amino}-propane-1,3-diol and DMF is di-methyl-formamide. The asymmetric unit consists of one Cu(2+) ion and one dianionic ligand; a -4 symmetry element generates the cluster, which contains a {Cu4O4} cubane-like core. The metal ion has an elongated square-based pyramidal CuNO4 coordination geometry with the N atom in a basal site. An intra-molecular O-H⋯O hydrogen bond is observed. The solvent mol-ecules were found to be highly disordered and their contribution to the scattering was removed with the SQUEEZE procedure in PLATON [Spek (2009 ▶). Acta Cryst. D65, 148-155], which indicated a solvent cavity of volume 3131 Å(3) containing approximately 749 electrons. These solvent molecules are not considered in the given chemical formula.