Mono-, di- and trinuclear copper(II) dioxime complexes; 3-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyimino-1-methylpropylideneamino)ethylamino]ethylimino}butan-2-one oxime

A new ligand incorporating a dioxime moiety, 3-{2-[2-(2-hydroxyimino-1-meth ylpropylideneamino)ethylamino]ethylimino}butan-2-one oxime, (H(2)mdo), has been synthesized and its mono-, di- and trinuclear copper(II), and hetero-d inuclear copper(II)-manganese(II) complexes have been prepared and characte rized by elemental analyses, magnetic moments, H-1- and C-13-n.m.r., i.r. a nd mass spectral studies. A mononuclear copper(II) complex of H(2)mdo was f ound to have a 1:1 metal:ligand ratio. Elemental analyses, stoichiometric a nd spectroscopic data of the metal complexes indicated that the metal ions are coordinated to the oxime and imine nitrogen atoms (C=N); the data suppo rt the proposed structure of H(2)mdo and its complexes.