The crystal structures of two mixed-valence copper cyanide compounds involving N-methyl-ethylenedi-amine (meen), are described. In compound (I), poly[bis(μ3-cyanido-κ3C:C:N)tris(μ2-cyanido-κ2C:N)bis(N-methylethane-1,2-di-amine-κ2N,N')tricopper(I)copper(II)], [Cu4(CN)5(C3H10N2)2] or Cu4(CN)5meen2, cyanide groups link CuI atoms into a three-dimensional network containing open channels parallel to the b axis. In the network, two tetra-hedrally bound CuI atoms are bonded by the C atoms of two end-on bridging CN groups to form Cu2(CN)6 moieties with the Cu atoms in close contact at 2.560 (1) Å. Other trigonally bound CuI atoms link these units together to form the network. The CuII atoms, coordinated by two meen units, are covalently linked to the network via a cyanide bridge, and project into the open network channels. In the mol-ecular compound (II), [(N-methylethylenediamine-κ2N,N')copper(II)]-μ2-cyanido-κ2C:N-[bis(cyanido-κC)copper(I)] monohydrate, [Cu2(CN)3(C3H10N2)2]·H2O or Cu2(CN)3meen2·H2O, a CN group connects a CuII atom coordinated by two meen groups with a trigonal-planar CuI atom coordinated by CN groups. The mol-ecules are linked into centrosymmetric dimers via hydrogen bonds to two water mol-ecules. In both compounds, the bridging cyanide between the CuII and CuI atoms has the N atom bonded to CuII and the C atom bonded to CuI, and the CuII atoms are in a square-pyramidal coordination.
Keywords: N-methylethylenediamine; crystal structure; cuprophilic interactions; cyanide; mixed valence copper complex; three-dimensional polymer.