Reaction of the binucleating ligand 5,5-bis(4-amino-2-thiabutyl)-3,7- dithianonane-1,9-diamine (L1) with a copper(II) salt in aqueous solution, and in the presence of lithium dithionate, results in the isolation of a dark blue crystalline solid identified as [Cu2(L1)](S2O6)2.4H2O. Crystals of the complex are triclinic, space group Pī , a 8.227(2), b 13.103(3), c 16.423(4) Ǻ, α 68.68(2), β 86.68(2), γ 75.50(2)°, Z 2, R 0.026 (5039 F). The structure consists of two copper(II) atoms each of which is coordinated through two thioether and two primary amine atoms. The two copper sites are linked through a saturated spiro carbon atom. Each copper atom is also coordinated to one water molecule; one of the copper atoms is coordinated to an oxygen atom of one dithionate anion. Thus, one copper atom is six-coordinate (4+2 tetragonally distorted), and the other is five-coordinate. The intramolecular Cu...Cu distance is 7.127 Ǻ; the shortest intermolecular Cu...Cu distance is 6.591 Ǻ. The angle between the two N2S2 planes is 92.2°. Low-temperature magnetic studies indicate weak intra- and inter-molecular antiferromagnetic interactions with a singlet-triplet splitting 2J of -10 cm-1 and a θ of -5 K. E.p.r. studies indicate a magnetic dipole-dipole interaction between the two copper(II) sites and a weak intermolecular antiferromagnetic interaction.
Reaction of the dicopper (II) complex of the binucleating ligand 5,5- bis (4-amino-2-azabutyl)-3,7-diazanonane-1,9-diamine with nitroethane and formaldehyde in water gives the respective macrobicyclic and macromonocyclic binucleating ligands 7,21-dimethyl-7,21-dinitro-2,5,9,12,16,19,23,26-octaazaspiro[13.13] heptacosane and 6,6-bis(4- amino-2-azabutyl)-13-methyl-13-nitro-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane , both as their dicopper (II) complexes. Similarly, condensation of the dicopper (II) complex of 5,5-bis(4-amino- 2-thiabutyl)-3,7-dithianonane-1,9-diamine with nitroethane and formaldehyde results in the binucleating macrobicycle 7,21-dimethyl- 7,21-dinitro-2,12,16,26-tetrathia-5,9,19,23-tetraazaspiro[13.13]-heptacosane. Physical properties of all complexes are reported and comparisons with mononuclear relatives are made. Structural parameters derived from electron paramagnetic resonance spectra are discussed.