A quasi-tetrahedral Cu4 cluster and a helical-chain copper (II) complex with single syn-anti carboxylate bridges: crystal structure and magnetic properties.

A tridentate Schiff base carboxylate ligand, derived from the condensation of pyridine 2-carboxaldehyde with anthranilic acid, reacts with copper trifluoroacetate salt to give rise to the helical chain complex [Cu(C(13)H(9)N(2)O(2))(F(3)CCO(2))](n)() (1) and with copper nitrate to give rise to the tetranuclear complex [[Cu(4)(C(13)H(9)N(2)O(2))(4)(H(2)O)(4)].3.5NO(3).0.5N(3)] (2) with the addition of azide salt. The structures of these complexes have been solved by X-ray crystallography. The Cu(II) ions are in a distorted square-pyramidal environment in complex 1. They are sequentially bridged by carboxylate groups in the syn-anti conformation, resulting in the formation of an infinite helix like chain along the crystallographic c-axis. The crystal structure of complex 2 consists of tetranuclear [Cu(4)(L)(4)(H(2)O)(4)](4+) (L = C(13)H(9)N(2)O(2)(-)) cations and isolated NO(3)(-) and N(3)(-) anions in the ratio 1:3.5:0.5, respectively, involving bridging carboxylate groups in the syn-anti conformation. For 1 the carboxylato-Cu(II) coordination is apical-basal, while for 2 it is basal-basal. From the magnetic susceptibility measurements the complex 1 is found to exhibit very weak antiferromagnetic interaction whereas a weak ferromagnetic coupling has been established for complex 2. The magnetic behavior can be satisfactorily explained on the basis of the structural data for these and related complexes.