Copper(II) oxalate and oxamate complexes

Reaction of Cu^II salts with phenanthroline and oxalate (ox) or oxamate (oxm) gives [Cu(phen)(ox)(H₂O)] · H₂O or [Cu(phen)(oxm)(H₂O)] · H₂O complexes while direct treatment of Cu^II salts with oxalate or oxamate gives [NH₄]₂[Cu(ox)₂] and [Cu(oxm)₂(H₂O)₂] respectively. The X-ray structures of one example of each system, aquo-oxamato-phenanthroline-copper(II)-dihydrate and the polymeric ammonium-bis(aquo)-tetraoxalato-dicopper(II)-dihydrate, are reported.