The complexation between copper(II) and the antihypertensive drug oxprenolo
l (HOxp) was studied both in methanol and slightly alkaline aqueous media a
t Cu:HOxp molar ratio from 1:1 to 1:10. Copper(LI) forms two types of compl
exes-a mononuclear violet one, CuOxp(2), with bidentately bound ligands and
a green dimeric one, Cu(2)Oxp(2)Cl(2), in which the two Cu(II) centres are
linked by the ligand through oxygen bridges. The crystal structure of the
Cu(2)Oxp(2)Cl(2) complex consists of two crystallographically non-equivalen
t centrosymmetric copper dimers. Each copper atom is four-coordinated in a
distorted square-planar environment. The Cu2O2 structural core is character
ized by a Cul-Ol-Cul' angle of 104.15(13)degrees (Cu2-O2-Cu2' 104.30(13)deg
rees) and a relatively short Cul-Cul' separation of 3.026(1) Angstrom (Cu2-
Cu2'-3.023(1) Angstrom). Magnetic susceptibility and EPR measurements indic
ate an antiferromagnetic coupling of the copper(II) centers. (C) 2001 Elsev
ier Science B.V. All rights reserved.