Synthesis of Hexadentate Hexahydro-1,3,5-triazine-Based Ligands and their Copper(I) Complexes

Summary.  Hexadentate ligands were formed by the reaction of primary dimethylaminoethyl- or methoxyethylamines with formaldehyde. The resulting N, N′, N″-functionalized hexahydro-1,3,5-triazines contain pending amino or ether functionalities which are able to coordinate to metals in addition to the ring nitrogen atoms. Both ligands were reacted with CuBr, and novel tricopper clusters were isolated and characterized by X-ray structure analysis. In these compounds a ring nitrogen atom, the pending amino or ether functionality, and two bridging bromine atoms coordinate each of the copper atoms. Received January 22, 2002; accepted (revised) March 22, 2002