An unusual eight-coordinated copper complex: bis(4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline)dinitratocopper(II).

In the title monomer, [Cu(NO3)2(C24H16N2)2], the copper(II) cation is eight-coordinate within an octahedral-like polyhedron. The coordination polyhedron is formed by two chelating diphenylphenanthroline groups that define the highly distorted CuN4 equatorial plane and two weakly bound bidentate (chelating) nitrate groups in the apical or axial positions. The complex crystallizes in the monoclinic space group C2/c; a twofold axis passes through the copper(II) cation and bisects the two nitrate ligands. This gives the molecule C2 point-group symmetry, rendering only half of the molecule independent.