Synthesis, Characterization, and Crystal Structure of a Novel Trinuclear Schiff Base Copper(II) Complex Containing a [Cu5I7] Cluster

A novel centrosymmetric trinuclear Schiff base copper(II) complex with a [Cu5I7] cluster [Cu(CuL)2][Cu5I7], where L is the deprotonated form of N,N'-bis(3-methoxysalicylidene)propane-1,3-diamine, has been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis and single crystal X-ray diffraction. The central Cu atom in the trinuclear copper(II) complex is in a tetrahedral coordination, and those in the terminal are in square planar coordination. In the [Cu5I7] cluster, seven I ions form a pentagonal bipyramid with only slight deviation from C5h symmetry; the five face-to-face linked iodide tetrahedra of the pentagonal bipyramid contain Cu atoms.