Structure of 1% copper(II)-doped dichlorobis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)zinc(II)

[Zn0.99Cu0.01Cl2(C5H8N2)2], Mr = 328.43, monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 13.587 (1), b = 7.1324 (7), c = 16.356 (2) A, beta = 112.87 (1) degrees, V = 1460.4 (5) A3, Z = 4, Dm = 1.50 (1), Dx = 1.492 g cm-3, mu(Mo K alpha, lambda = 0.71073 A) = 20.8 cm-1, F(000) = 672.0, T = 297 (1) K, R = 0.028 for 1782 unique observed reflections. The structure contains discrete dichlorobis(1,2-dimethylimidazole)zinc(II) molecules. Pseudotetrahedral N2Cl2 coordination about zinc is effected by coordination to two imidazole and two chloride ligands. The Zn-N [2.006 (3), 2.008 (3) A] and Zn-Cl [2.2509 (8), 2.2468 (8) A] distances lie within +/- 0.01 A of those in the structurally similar compound [ZnCl2(imidazole)2]. Angles within the coordination sphere L-Zn-L' range from 105.39 (7) to 115.37 (8) degrees. The N-Zn-N angle [115.37 (8) degrees] is 5-10 degrees larger than those for several [ZnL2Cl2] complexes where L is imidazole, 4-substituted pyridine or 3,5-dimethylpyrazole.