The condensation product of 2-pyridinecarboxaldehyde N-oxide with triethyle
netetramine exists in solution in the contracted form with two outer imidaz
olidine rings. In the copper and zinc complexes, three ligand isomers, cont
aining none (L-1), one (L-2) or two (L1) imidazolidine rings, occur as prov
ed by the X-ray structure analysis of [ZnL1](ClO4)(2), [CuL2] (ClO4)(2) and
[ZnL3(DMSO)(2)]( ClO4)(2). (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reser
ved.