Three 2-oxazolinyl rings on one quaternary carbon atom:: preparation of a novel tripodal tris(oxazolinyl) ligand and the tetrameric molecular structure of its CuI complex

Reaction of the lithium salt of 1,1-bis[2-(4,4-dimethyl) oxazolinyl]ethane (1) with 2-bromo-4,4-dimethyloxazoline yielded the novel tripodal ligand, 1,1,1- tris[2-(4,4-dimethyl) oxazolinyl]ethane (trisox-Me(2)2) which was reacted with one mol equivalent of [Cu(NCCH3)(4)](BF4) in dichloromethane to give [Cu(trisox-Me-2)](n)(BF4)(n) (3); while monomeric in solution, an X-ray diffraction study of 3 established a cyclic, centrosymmetric tetramer in the solid state.