Extended network via hydrogen bond linkages of zig-zag coordination chains [{Cu2(trans-oxen)(μ-OH)(μ-H2O)}n]n+ or [Cu2(trans-oxen)(μ-OCN)2]n [H2oxen = N,N′-bis(2-aminoethyl)-oxamide]

The trans-oxamidato-bridged polymeric complexes [Cu-2(trans-oxen)(mu-OH)(mu-H2O)(n)Br-n . 2nH(2)O 1 and [Cu-2-(trans-oxen)(mu-OCN)(2)](n). . nH(2)O 2 [H(2)oxen = N,N'-bis(2-aminoethyl)oxamide] with zig-zag co-ordination chains were synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The cationic chains [{Cu-2(trans-oxen)(mu-OH)(mu-H2O)}(n)](n+) in 1 bridged alternately by trans-oxamidate, mu-OH and mu-H2O arranged in three directions intersect with one another to yield an extended network via the interchain hydrogen bonds formed by metal-co-ordinated OH- and H2O and the solvate water molecules with the linkages Cu-OH OH-Cu and Cu-H2O...H2O...H2O-Cu. The neutral chains [Cu-2(trans-oxen)(mu-OCN)(2)](n) in 2 bridged alternately by trans-oxamidate and double cyanate bridges in an asymmetric M-bonded end-on mode are joined together by bridging H2O molecules via the hydrogen bond linkage Cu(oxen)...H2O...(oxen)Cu to produce the extended network structure. The magnetic calculations showed the presence of antiferromagnetic couplings between the copper(II) ions through both the trans-oxamidate and mu-OH or cyanate bridges.