trans-Dichloridotetrakis(3,5-dimethylpyridine)copper(II)

Area of Science:

• Inorganic chemistry
• Crystallography
• Coordination chemistry

Background:

• The structural characterization of metal halide complexes provides insight into coordination geometries and bonding.
• Investigating isomorphous compounds aids in understanding trends in crystal packing and symmetry.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the precise crystal structure of the title compound, [CuCl2(C7H9N)4].
• To compare the crystallographic properties of the copper complex with its known nickel and cobalt analogues.

Main Methods:

• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis was employed to elucidate the molecular and crystal structure.
• The crystal structure was solved and refined in the P4/nnc space group.

Main Results:

• The title compound, [CuCl2(C7H9N)4], crystallizes in the P4/nnc space group with D(4) symmetry.
• The copper and chlorine atoms are situated on a fourfold axis, while the 3,5-lutidine ligands occupy twofold axes.
• Key bond distances were determined: Cu-Cl at 2.7649 (7) Å and Cu-N at 2.0510 (12) Å.
• The space group for the cobalt analogue was revised to P4/nnc, confirming isomorphism.

Conclusions:

• The copper(II) chloride complex with 3,5-lutidine demonstrates high symmetry, consistent with isomorphous Ni and Co analogues.
• The structural data provides valuable information for understanding the coordination environment and packing in this series of metal complexes.