Copper(II) and nickel(II) complexes of the pendant arm ligand benzimidazole-2-yl-methyl-functionalized 1,4,7-triazacyclononane

Two novel complexes [ML]·(ClO₄)₂·EtOH·xH₂O M = Cu^II, x = 3; M = Ni^II, x = 2; L = 1-R-4,7-bis(benzimidazole-2-yl-methyl)-1,4,7-triazacyclononane, [R = 1-(benzimidazole-2-yl-methyl)benzimidazole-2-yl-methy], were prepared by a one-pot method using the 1,4,7-triazacyclononane ligand (tacn) and 2-chloromethylbenzimidazole as starting materials. The ES-MS and u.v. spectra of the complexes indicate that they are very stable thermodynamically and kinetically in aqueous solution. The crystal structure of the Cu^II complex shows that the Cu^II centre is octahedrally coordinated by six nitrogen atoms of three benzimidazoles and tacn.