MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF THE DIMERIC COMPLEX OF COPPER (II) CHLORIDE WITH TRIPHENYL-N-[6-METHYLPYRIDYL-2]PHOSPHINIMINE

The complex of copper(II) dichloride with triphenyl-N-(6-methylpyridyl -2)phosphinimine has been studied by X-ray diffraction. This compound has a dimeric structure with two mu(2)-bridge chlorine atoms. The coor dination of copper atoms by three chlorine atoms and the N atom of the heterocycle is of a strongly distorted planar-square type. A peculiar feature of this structure is the presence of intramolecular contacts Cu...N (2.504 Angstrom and 2.492 Angstrom) involving the imine nitroge ns of the P,N-containing ligands which are responsible for strong addi tional coordination of the copper atoms. In methanol the P,N-containin g ligand forms a complex with Cu(II) where the metal-to-ligand ratio i s equal to 1:2. The ESR data point to the bidentate nature of the liga nd in solution, where all four nitrogen atoms, contributed by both of the ligands, are located in the plane of the metal atom.