Aqua­{2-(pyridin-2-yl)-N-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl­idene]ethanamine-κ3 N,N′,N′′}(sulfato-κ2 O,O′)copper(II) tetra­hydrate

The title complex, [Cu(SO4)(C13H13N3)(H2O)]·4H2O, was obtained by mixing copper sulfate penta-hydrate and 2-(pyridin-2-yl)-N-(pyridin-2-yl-methyl-idene)ethanamine in eth-anol under reflux conditions. The Cu(II) ion shows a Jahn-Teller-distorted octa-hedral geometry, with equatorial positions occupied by three N atoms from the tridentate ligand (average Cu-N = 2.004 Å) and one O atom from a bidentate sulfate anion [Cu-O = 1.963 (2) Å]. The axial positions are occupied by one O atom from a coordinating water mol-ecule [Cu-O = 2.230 (3) Å] and one weakly bonded O atom [Cu-O = 2.750 (2) Å] from the bidentate sulfate ion. The complex mol-ecules are connected through O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds between the coordinating water mol-ecules and sulfate ions from neighboring complexes, forming a double chain parallel to the c axis. The chains are stabilized through additional hydrogen bonds by one of the non-coordinating water mol-ecules bridging between neighboring strands of the double chains. The remaining three water mol-ecules fill the inter-stitial space between the double chains and are involved in an intricate hydrogen-bonding network that consolidates the structure.