Crystal structure of trans-bis-[2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)acetato-κO]bis-(ethano-lamine-κ2 N,O)copper(II).

The reaction of 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)acetic acid (HBTA; C8H7N3O2) and mono-ethano-lamine (MEA; C2H7NO) with CuCl2·2H2O resulted in the formation of the title complex, [Cu(C8H6N3O2)2(C2H7NO)2] or [Cu(BTA)2(MEA)2]. Its asymmetric unit comprises one BTA anion coordin-ating to the Cu2+ cation (site symmetry ) through the carboxyl O atom, and one MEA ligand chelating the metal cation by two heteroatoms (O and N). The equatorial Cu-O and Cu-N bond lengths are similar at 2.029 (1) and 1.980 (2) Å, respectively, while the length of the axial Cu-O bond is considerably greater [2.492 (2) Å], as is typical for Jahn-Teller-distorted systems. An intra-molecular hydrogen bond is present between the hy-droxy group of the MEA ligand and the non-coordinating O atom of the carboxyl-ate group. Inter-molecular hydrogen bonding involving the amino function of the MEA ligand and the carboxyl-ate group results in eight-membered rings with an R 2 2(8) graph-set motif. The mol-ecules are further linked by C-H⋯π inter-actions involving the triazole rings and methyl-ene groups of MEA, thus generating an overall three-dimensional supra-molecular framework.