[Cu(phen)2(μ‐IDA)Cu(phen)](ClO4)2·CH3OH: tridentate and monodentate binding to two copper(II) species by a bridging ligand

The stoichiometric reaction of 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen), imino­di­acetic acid (IDA‐H₂) and Cu(ClO₄)₂ in a H₂O–CH₃OH (2:1) solution yields μ‐imino­diacetato‐2:1κ⁴O,N,O′:O′′‐tris(1,10‐phenanthroline)‐1κ⁴N,N′;2κ²N,N′‐dicopper(II) diperchlorate methanol solvate, Cu₂(C₄H₅NO₄)(C₁₂H₈N₂)₃](ClO₄)₂·CH₃OH. The IDA ligand bridges the two Cu^II ions via a carboxyl­ate group and uses one further N and an O atom of the second carboxylate group to complete a fac‐tridentate coordination at one Cu centre. A phen ligand completes a distorted square‐pyramidal coordination at this metal atom, although there is weak coordination by a perchlorate O atom at a sixth position. The second Cu centre has a distorted trigonal–bipyramidal coordination to two phen moieties and a carboxyl­ate O atom.