Bis[N,N′‐(2‐chlorobenzylidene)ethylenediamine‐κ2N,N′]copper(I) dichloridocuprate(I) acetonitrile solvate

The 1:1 adduct of N,N′‐bis(2‐chlorobenzylidene)ethylenediamine (cb₂en) with copper(I) chloride proves to be an ionic compound with Cu^I‐centred cations and anions, [Cu(C₁₆H₁₄Cl₂N₂)₂][CuCl₂]·CH₃CN. In the cation, the Cu^I atom has a flattened tetrahedral coordination geometry, with a small bite angle for the chelating ligands, which form a double‐helical arrangement around the metal centre. The anion is almost linear, as expected. The packing of the cations involves intermolecular π–π interactions, which lead to columns of translationally related cations along the shortest unit‐cell axis, with anions and solvent molecules in channels between them.