Syntheses of copper(I)cis-1,3,5-tri-iminocyclohexane complexes

Copper(I) complexes of the ligand cis-1,3,5-tris(cinnamylideneamino)cyclohexane (L) have been prepared from a versatile precursor complex, [CuI(L)NCMe]BF4, which incorporates a labile acetonitrile ligand that can be exchanged to give a range of new Cu(L)X complexes (where X = Cl, Br, NO2, SPh). 1H NMR spectra and X-ray structures of the Cl, Br and NO2 complexes show L coordinated in a symmetric fashion about the copper centre. The complexes have been further characterised using UV/Visible spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. CuLCl shows an electrochemically reversible CuI/II redox couple at 0.51 V (vs. Ag/AgCl) while the CuLNO2 complex shows an analogous quasi-reversible wave at 0.41 V (vs. Ag/AgCl).