DINUCLEAR COPPER(II) ACETATE COMPLEX WITH CAFFEINE, A FAST MECHANOCHEMICAL SYNTHESIS
A new dinuclear paddle-wheel copper(II) complex with caffeine was synthesized by the solvent-based and mechanochemical methods from copper(II) acetate and caffeine in a 1:1 molar ratio. Mechanochemical synthesis was found to be the fastest and easiest way to prepare the complex. The reaction proceeds with addition of small amounts of methanol or ethanol. The complex was characterized by FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental and thermoanalytical methods (TG and DSC) and X-ray diffraction methods. The molecular and crystal structure was determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction method. The complex molecule consists of a centrosymmetric dinuclear unit, Cu2(-Ac)4(caf)2, with two copper(II) atoms bridged by four acetato groups, and N-coordinated caffeine (caf) molecules in the apical posi-tions.