Spectral properties and bio-activity of copper(II) clofibriates, part III:: crystal structure of Cu(clofibriate)2(2-pyridylmethanol)2, Cu(clofibriate)2(4-pyridylmethanol)2(H2O) dihydrate, and Cu2(clofibriate)4(N,N-diethylnicotinamide)2

New copper(II) clofibriates (clof, {2-(4-chlorophenoxy)-2-methylpropionic or 2-(4-chlorophenoxy)isobutyric acid}) of composition Cu(clof)(2)L-2 (where L=2-pyridylmethanol (2-pymeth) (1), N-methyinicotinamide (Menia) (4), NN-diethylnicotinamide (Et(2)nia) (5), isonicotinamide (isonia) (7) or methyl-3-pyridylcarbamate (mpc) (8)), [Cu(clof)(2)(4-pymeth)(2)(H2O)] (.) 2H(2)O (4-pymeth = 4-pyridylmethanol) (2 (.) 2H(2)O) and Cu(clof)(2)L (where L = 4-pymeth (3) or Et(2)nia (6)) have been prepared and spectroscopically characterized. All the Cu(clof)(2)L-2 compounds seem to possess distorted octahedral copper(II) stereochemistry with differing tetragonal distortions. An X-ray analysis of 1 was carried out and it featured a tetragonal-bipyramidal geometry around the copper(II) atom. X-ray analysis of 2(.)2H(2)O featured a square-pyramidal geometry around copper(II) atom, Both the Cu(clof)(2)L compounds seem to consist of a binuclear unit of tetracarboxylate type bridging. An X-ray analysis of 6 revealed typical binuclear paddle-wheel type structure, consisting of two copper(II) atoms in square-pyramidal geometry bridged by four carboxylate anions in the xy-plane. All complexes under study were characterized by EPR and electronic spectroscopy. The antimicrobial effects have been tested on various strains of bacteria, yeasts and filamentous fungi. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.