Low-dimensional copper(II) complexes with the trinucleating ligand 2,4,6-tris(di-2-pyridylamine)-1,3,5-triazine: synthesis, crystal structures, and magnetic properties.

The preparation and structural characterization of three new copper(II) complexes of formula Cu(3)(dipyatriz)(2)(H(2)O)(3)(6) x 2 H(2)O (1), {Cu(4)(dipyatriz)(2)(H(2)O)(2)(NO(3))(2)(ox)(2)(2) x 2 H(2)O}(n) (2), and Cu(6)(dipyatriz)(2)(H(2)O)(9)(NO(3))(3)(ox)(3)(3) x 4 H(2)O (3) [dipyatriz = 2,4,6-tris(di-2-pyridylamine)-1,3,5-triazine and ox = oxalate] are reported. The structure of 1 consists of trinuclear units Cu(3)(dipyatriz)(2)(H(2)O)(3) and uncoordinated perchlorate anions. The two dipyatriz molecules in 1 act as tris-bidentate ligands with the triazine cores being in a quasi eclipsed conformation. Each copper atom in 1 exhibits a distorted square pyramidal geometry CuN(4)O with four pyridyl-nitrogen atoms from two dipyatriz ligands building the basal plane and a water molecule occupying the axial position. The values of the intratrimer copper-copper separation are 8.0755(6) and 8.3598(8) A. Compound 2 exhibits a layered structure of copper(II) ions which are connected through bis-bidentate dipyatriz ligands and bidentate/outer monodentate oxalato groups. The copper atoms in 2 exhibit six- [Cu(1)N(4)O(2)] and five-coordination [Cu(2)N(2)O(3)]. A water molecule and three pyridyl-nitrogen atoms [Cu(1)] and two pyridyl-nitrogen plus two oxalate-oxygen atoms [Cu(2)] define the equatorial plane whereas either an oxalate-oxygen and a pyridyl-nitrogen [Cu(1)] or a nitrate-oxygen [Cu(2)] fill the axial positions. The copper-copper separation through the bridging oxalato is 5.6091(6) A whereas those across dipyatriz vary in the range 7.801(1)-9.079(1) A. The structure of compound 3 contains discrete cage-like hexacopper(II) units Cu(6)(dipyatriz)(2)(H(2)O)(9)(NO(3))(3)(ox)(3) where two trinuclear Cu(3)(dipyatriz) fragments are connected by three bis-bidentate oxalate ligands, the charge being balanced by three non-coordinated nitrate anions. The values of the intracage copper-copper distance are 5.112(3)-5.149(2) A (across oxalato) and 7.476(2)-8.098(2) A (through dipyatriz). Magnetic susceptibility measurements of polycrystalline samples of 1-3 in the temperature range 1.9-295 K show the occurrence of a weak antiferromagnetic interaction across dipyatriz in 1 [J = -0.08(1) cm(-1), the Hamiltonian being defined as (wedge)H = -J ((wedge)S(1).(wedge)S(2) + (wedge)S(1) x (wedge)S(3) + (wedge)S(2) x (wedge)S(3))] and weak ferro- (2) and strong antiferromagnetic (3) interactions through the oxalato bridge in 2 [J = +0.45(2) cm(-1)] and 3 [J = -390(1) cm(-1)]. The use of the dipyatriz-containing copper(II) species as a building block to design homo- and heterometallic magnetic compounds is analyzed and discussed.