CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF A NOVEL COPPER(I) CYANIDE COMPLEX WITH HEXAMETHYLENETETRAMINE, (CUCN)3(C6H12N4)2

The crystal structure of (CuCN)3(C6H12N4)2 (1) consists of infinite chains of alternating copper(I) and CN which are bound into infinite sheets by hexamethylenetetramine. The CN groups appear to be totally end-for-end disordered. The preparation of the complex is unusual by the fact that none of the final constituent species is present in the starting material; i.e. the copper(I) ion, the cyanide ion, and the hexamethylenetetramine are all created in situ. The crystal is monoclinic, space group C2/c, with a = 14.812 (10) angstrom, b = 11.445 (3) angstrom, c = 14.784 (7) angstrom, beta = 126.78 (5)-degrees, and Z = 4; R was 0.042 for 2065 independent reflections.