PREPARATION OF THE COMPLEXES M(II)L(2)CENTER-DOT-2CH(3)OH (M=CO, NI, CU, ZN) OF THE BIDENTATE LIGAND 2-(2'-HYDROXY-3'-METHYLPHENYL)-BENZIMIDAZOLE (HL) AND THE MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF CU(II)L(2)CENTER-DOT-2CH(3)OH

The complexation of the sterically demanding bidentate ligand 2-(2'-hydroxy-3'-methylphenyl)-benzimidazole (HL) with divalent transition metal ions M(II)(Co, Ni, Cu, Zn), yielded a series of mononuclear complexes of general formula M(II)L(2) . 2CH(3)OH. The crystal structure of the copper(II) complex has been determined and the four coordinate copper(II) centre displays a substantial asymmetric distortion (phi = 39.5 degrees) from a square planar geometry (phi = 0 degrees) towards a tetrahedral geometry (phi = 90 degrees). Crystallographic data: C30H30CUN4O4, M(r) = 574.14, triclinic (P ($) over bar 1 (No. 2)), a = 11.231 (4), b = 15.399(5), c = 8.194(4) Angstrom, alpha = 100.68(3), beta = 103.56(3), gamma = 82.96(3)degrees, Z = 2, T = 296 K, D-calc = 1.413 g cm(-3), R(R(w)) = 0.044 (0.043).