Schiff-base template condensation of 2,6-diacetylpyridine with the diamine 3,3'-diaminodipropylamine on Ag+, Pb2+, Ca2+, or Sr2+ led to binuclear Ag+ and Pb2+ and mononuclear Ca2+ and Sr2+ complexes of the 28-membered ligand H,L. A series of binuclear C u t ' complexes of this macrocycle, including [Cu,( H,L) (NCS),], were prepared by transmetallation in acetonitrile solution. A complex of formula Cu2(HL)(BPh,),*2MeCN was prepared from [Sr(H,L)] [BPh,], and Cu(O,CMe), in the presence of excess NaBPh,. This cation was characterised by e.s.r. as a dicopper(i1) complex of the singly deprotonated ligand H L-. The complex [Cu,( L) ( H NCS),] [BPh4],.l.5MeCN was prepared, which showed Vasym( NCS) at 1 992 cm-', characteristic of bridging thiocyanate. A single-crystal X-ray structure determination was carried out. Crystals were triclinic, space group P i with a = 14.695( 11), b = 1 4 . 0 5 1 ( 1 1 ) , c = 2 0 . 7 2 1 ( 1 1 ) ~, a = 111.5(1),p=98.8(1),y= 100.3(1)",andZ= 2 . 3 9 6 9 Independent reflections above background have been measured on a diffractometer and the structure refined to R = 0.089. The unit cell contains t w o independent cations both with imposed 7 symmetry, four BPh,-anions and solvent molecules. In both cations the Cu Cu distance is 7.25 A. Each copper atom is bonded to four nitrogen atoms of the macrocycle and nitrogen of a terminal thiocyanate. The Cu-N-C(S) angles were unusually small at lOO(2) and 109(2)". We believe that the explanation for the correlated phenomenon of small CU-N-C angle and a low value for the Vasym( NCS) absorption is that proton transfer has occurred from the co-ordinated NH group to the NCS ion, making this a complex of thiocyanic acid with the macrocyclic ligand being in the doubly deprotonated form L2-.Recently we have investigated' a number of binuclear Cu" complexes where, because of proximity of the paramagnetic centres or intermediacy of a bridging ligand, strong interaction exists between the Cu" centres. This present work describes binuclear Cu" complexes with the macrocycle H,L (and deprotonated forms) and the hydrogenated ligand L' (H,L + 8 H), where the internuclear distance is long and bridging ligands are absent (Figure 1).Intriguingly, in one instance preliminary i.r. spectroscopic data implied the existence of a single-atom thiocyanate bridge, but X-ray crystallographic structural investigations did not confirm this, suggesting instead formation of an isothiocyanic acid complex.Isothiocyanic acid (HCNS), being a strong acid of pK, ca. -1.8, is not expected to co-ordinate to metal ions as the neutral (unionised) acid, although protonation of N-co-ordinated NCSin Co"' complexes in highly acidic media has been suggested.2 The thiocyanate ion (NCS)-, on the other hand, is a well known ambidentate ligand capable of co-ordinating in the variety of modes, (a)--(e). A distinctive property of bridging mode (e) is the occurrence of the thiocyanate asymmetric stretch, v,,,,(NCS), below 2000 cm-' in the i.r. When a presumed dithiocyanato complex of the ligand under study ...