Dicopper(II) complexes of a new pyrazolate-containing Schiff-base macrocycle and related acyclic ligand

Dicopper(II) complexes of two new 3,5-disubstituted-pyrazole-based ligands, bis(quadridentate) macrocyclic ligand (L1)(2-) and bis(terdentate) acyclic ligand (L2)(-), were synthesised by Schiff base condensation of 3,5-diformylpyrazole and either one equivalent of 1,3-diaminopropane or two equivalents of 2-(2-aminoethyl)pyridine in the presence of one or two equivalents of copper(II) ions, respectively. Copper(II) acetate monohydrate was employed in the synthesis of [Cu(2)(L1)(OAc)(2)], [Cu(2)(L2)(H(2)O)(2)(OAc)(3)] and [Cu(II)(2)(L1)(NCS)(2)]; in the last of these one equivalent of NaNCS per copper(II) ion was also added. The fourth complex, [Cu(2)(L2)(NCS)(2)(DMF)]BF(4), was prepared using copper(II) tetrafluoroborate hexahydrate, along with two equivalents of NaOH and six of NaSCN. All four of these dimetallic complexes have been characterised by single crystal X-ray diffraction: the two macrocyclic complexes are the first such Schiff base complexes to be so characterised. A feature common to all four of the structures is bridging of the two copper(II) centres by the pyrazolate moiety/moieties. The structure determinations show that the coordination mode of the acetate groups in both [Cu(2)(L1)(OAc)(2)].2MeOH.H(2)O and [Cu(2)(L2)(H(2)O)(2)(OAc)(3)] is unidentate as had been tentatively predicted by analysis of the infrared spectra (DeltaOCO of 199 and 208 cm(-1), respectively). The magnetochemical studies of the macrocyclic complexes, over the temperature range 4-300 K, revealed strong antiferromagnetic coupling with J = -169 and -213 cm(-1) for [Cu(2)(L1)(OAc)(2)].2H(2)O and [Cu(II)(2)(L1)(NCS)(2)].DMF respectively. The J values have been discussed in relation to a published correlation involving the CuN(pyrazolate)N(pyrazolate) angles.