ZINC(II) AND COPPER(II) COMPLEXES OF MONOANIONIC CHELATING PHENOLATE LIGANDS CONTAINING AN AMINE DONOR - CRYSTAL AND MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OFTHE (ET3NH)[ZNCL2L] AND CUL2 COMPOUNDS WITH L=2-[(DIETHYLAMINO)METHYL]-4-METHYLPHENOLATE

The reaction of ZnCl2 with 2-[(diethylamino)methyl]phenol (AH) or 2-[( diethylamino)methyl]-4-methylphenol (BH) in the presence of NEt3 (1:1: 1 ratio) gave good yields of the complexes (Et3NH) [ZnCl2L] (L = A (1) , B (2)); Colourless crystals of 2 (monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 13.767, b = 11.650, c = 14.789 Angstrom, beta = 109.66 degrees, Z = 4, R = 0.04 2) contain monomeric tetrahedral zincate anions in which the metal is surrounded by two Cl atoms and one bidentate aminophenolato ligand. Th e Et3NH+ counter cation is hydrogen-bonded to the coordinated phenolat e oxygen, Brown CuL2 complexes (L = A (3), B (4)) were obtained by rea cting Cu(NO3)(2) . 3H(2)O, CuCl2 . 2H(2)O or CuSO4 . 3H(2)O with AH an d BH, respectively, in the presence of NEt3 in a 1:2:2 Cu:ligand:NEt3 ratio, Crystals of 4 (monoclinic, P2(1)/c, a = 8.165, b = 14.798, c = 9.481 Angstrom, beta = 90.91 degrees, Z = 2, R = 0.048) contain monome ric square-planar copper centres surrounded by two bidentate aminophen olato ligands in a trans arrangement. The presence of relatively bulky ethyl substituents on the amino group favours the monomeric chelates by preventing the formation of phenolate-bridged polynuclear arrangeme nts.