The crystal structure of di-a-hydroxobis(dimethylaminecopper (II)) sulfate monohydrate, CUE(NHzCH3)4(OH)2SO4. H20, has been determined by X-ray analysis. The crystals are triclinic with space group Pi and the cell dimensions are, a=9"28a, b=ll.31~, c=7"425/~, e=98"6s, p=92"94, ~= 113.19 °, with two formula units in the cell. The final parameters were evaluated by a full-matrix least-squares treatment of three-dimensional data.The structure contains two crystaUographically independent copper(II) atoms having a tetragonal pyramidal coordination. Each copper atom is coordinated by two hydroxyl anions and two nitrogen atoms of methylamine to form a binuclear complex ion. The two hydroxyl ions are shared by the two copper atoms. The complex ion is puckered at the hydroxyl ions and this results in a rather close approach, 2.78 ~, between the copper atoms. Two such complex ions are bound together to form a dimer, in which the hydroxyl ion in one of the complex ions is coordinated as a fifth ligand to the copper atom in the other. A water molecule is coordinated to another copper atom of the complex ion as a fifth ligand. The dimers are piled up along the c axis, and sulfate ions are attached to them through hydrogen bonds. These lcolumnar units of the structure are packed together parallel to the c axis to complete the structure.
ExperimentalIn the course of a study of the hydrogenation catalysis by cupric salts dissolved in organic bases, a new compound with the composition Cuz(NH2CH3)4(OH)2SO4 • H20 was found to deposit in reaction flasks. In view of the significance of the structural correlation of this complex with the substrate, a structural analysis was undertaken on it by X-ray diffraction.The complex was prepared by dissolving CuSO4. 5H20 in a 40% aqueous solution of methylamine in a water bath with a molar ratio of copper to methylamine 1:4. After filtration of the dark blue solution obtained, a small amount of alcohol was added to it. The solution was then suddenly cooled to liquid nitrogen temperature in order to stimulate crystallization. Many * Present address: The Government Chemical Industrial Research Institute, Tokyo, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Japan. small crystals were obtained as a precipitate when the solution was kept in a refrigerator for a while. The crystal suitable for the X-ray work was grown from the solution at room temperature by using a crystal from the precipitate as a seed crystal.The crystals collected were dark blue, elongated along the c axis, and often twinned with the twinning axis c. The crystals were unstable and easily decomposed on exposure to the air. During the exposure to X-rays, the specimen was kept in a thin-walled Pyrex glass capillary filled with methylamine and ethyl alcohol vapours. Although the results of chemical analysis showed poor reproducibility because of such instability of the specimen, the molar proportions of copper, methylamine, sulfate and water were found to be approximately 2:4: 1:3, where the water content was determined by Karl Fischer's method. In the course...