A new binucleating ligand incorporating four oxime groups and its copper(II), manganese(II) and cobalt(III) complexes

A new binucleating ligand incorporating four oxime groups, butane-2,3-dione O-[4-aminooxy-2,3-bis-(2-hydroxyimino-1-methyl-propylideneaminooxymethyl)-but-2-enyl]-dioxime, (H₄mto), has been synthesized and its dinuclear cobalt(III), copper(II), and homo- and hetero-tetranuclear copper(II)–manganese(II) complexes have been prepared and characterized by ¹H- and ¹³C-n.m.r., i.r., magnetic moments and mass spectral studies. Elemental analyses, stoichiometric and spectroscopic data indicate that the metal ions in the complexes are coordinated to the oxime nitrogen atoms (C=N) and the data support the proposed structure for H₄mto and its complexes. Moreover, dinuclear cobalt(III) and copper(II) complexes of H₄mto have a 2:1 metal:ligand ratio.