Three transition‐metal complexes with the macrocyclic ligand meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane (L): [Cu(ClO4)2(L)], [Zn(NO3)2(L)] and [CuCl(L)(H2O)]Cl

The three transition‐metal complexes, (meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane‐κ⁴N)bis(perchlorato‐κO)copper(II), Cu(ClO₄)₂(C₁₈H₄₀N₄)], (I), (meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane‐κ⁴N)bis(nitrato‐κO)zinc(II), Zn(NO₃)₂(C₁₈H₄₀N₄)], (II), and aquachlorido(meso‐5,7,7,12,14,14‐hexamethyl‐1,4,8,11‐tetraazacyclotetradecane‐κ⁴N)copper(II) chloride, CuCl(C₁₈H₄₀N₄)(H₂O)]Cl, (III), are described. The molecules display a very similarly distorted 4+2 octahedral environment for the cation located at an inversion centre in (I) and (II)], defined by the macrocycle N₄ group in the equatorial sites and two further ligands in trans‐axial positions two O–ClO₃ ligands in (I), two O–NO₂ ligands in (II) and one chloride and one aqua ligand in (III)]. The most significant difference in molecular shape resides in these axial ligands, the effect of which on the intra‐ and intermolecular hydrogen bonding is discussed. In the case of (I), all strong hydrogen‐bond donors are saturated in intramolecular interactions, while weak intermolecular C—H...O contacts result in a three‐dimensional network. In (II) and (III), instead, there are N—H and O—H donors left over for intermolecular interactions, giving rise to the formation of strongly linked but weakly interacting chains.