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, [Cu-I(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). H-1 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 Cu-I/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).