Functionally substituted arylcopper compounds; crystal structure of the copper bromide complex of [2-(4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline)-4-methylphenylcopper]

Arylcopper compounds containing a reactive oxazoline substituent in the ortho position to the CuC bond were synthesized. They react with CuBr to form complexes, and the structure of one of these, [Cu₆(oxl)₄Br₂] (oxl = 4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline-4-methylphenyl) was determined by X-ray diffraction. The six copper atoms form a distorded octahedron with four two-electron, three-center bonded bridging aryl groups and two bridging bromine atoms. The aryloxazoline substituent is coordinated via the ipso carbon to two copper atoms, and the imine-N atom is bonded to a third copper atom.