Coordination of Schiff bases derived from pyrrole-2-carboxaldehyde and triamines to copper(II) and nickel(II) ions. Crystal structures of [Cu(C15H20N5)]NO3 and [Ni(C15H20N5)]ClO4

The Schiffbases 1,9-bis(2-pyrrolyl)-2,5,8-triazanona-1,8-diene (H₂L¹), 1,10-bis(2-pyrrolyl)-2,5,9-triazaundeca-l,9-diene (H₂L²), and 1,11-bis(2-pyrrolyl)-6-methyl-2,6,10-triazaundeca-l,10-diene (H₂L⁴) react with copper(II) nitrate or nickel(II) perchlorate in the presence of triethylamine to give new complexes Cu(HL^1,2,4)]NO₃ and Ni(HL^1,2,4)]ClO₄. The crystal structures of Cu(HL²)]NO₃ and Ni(HL²)]CIO₄ have been determined from single crystal diffractometer data and refined to finalR factors of 5.09 and 5.3%, respectively. Crystallographic data: Cu(HL²)]NO₃: monoclinic,P2₁/c,a=10.036(2),b=14.500(2),c=13.317(2) Å,=108.14(1)°,Z=4, andd _c =11.427 Mg m^–3; Ni(HL²)]ClO₄: monoclinic,P2₁/n,a=10.578(3),b=13.953(3),c=12.394(4) Å,=93.78(2)°,Z=4, andd _c =1.549 Mg m^–3. In both the structures the potentially pentadentate ligand (HL²)^– acts as a tetradentate one leaving one pyrrole group uncoordinated. Interesting is the metal dependent sequence of the three chelate rings. While the Ni (II) ion coordinates the (HL²)^– ligand to form a 5-5-6-membered ring system, the ring arrangement in the copper complex is of the 5-6-5 type.