Synthesis, characterization, and structures of copper(I) complexes with N,N'-bis[1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethylidene]ethane-1,2-diamine and N,N'-bis[1-(4-nitrophenyl)ethylidene]ethane-1,2-diamine

Two ligands, N,N'-bis[1-(4-chlorophenyl)ethylidene]ethane-1,2-diamine (L1) and N,N'-bis- [1-(4-nitrophenyl)ethylidene]ethane-1,2-diamine (L2) and their corresponding copper(I) complexes, [Cu(L1)2]ClO4 (1) and [Cu(L2)2]ClO4 (2), have been synthesized and characterized by CHN analyses, 1H-NMR, IR, and UV-Vis spectroscopy. The crystal structures of L1 and [Cu(L1)2]ClO4 (1) were determined from single crystal X-ray diffraction. L1 lies across a crystallographic inversion center and the C=N is approximately coplanar with the benzene ring and adopts E configuration. The coordination polyhedron about copper(I) in 1 is best described as a distorted tetrahedron. Quasireversible redox behavior is observed for the complexes.