DICOPPER(I) COMPLEXES OF THE NOVEL PHOSPHORUSBIPYRIDYL LIGAND 6-DIPHENYLPHOSPHINO-2,2'-BIPYRIDYL

Reaction of 6-diphenylphosphino-2,2'-bipyridine (Ph2Pbipy) with copper (I) precursors such as [Cu(MeCN)4]+ and [Cu(2,2'-bipy)(MeCN)2]+ afford s dinuclear phosphorusbipyridyl ligand-bridged dicopper products and i n particular [Cu2(mu-Ph2Pbipy)2 (MeCN)2]2+ (1) and [Cu2(2,2'-bipy)(mu- Ph2Pbipy)2]2+ (2), respectively. The ligand coordinates head-to-tail i n 1, and head-to-head in 2, as established by single crystal X-ray dif fraction studies.