Crystal structure of tetra­kis­(μ3-2-{[1,1-bis­(hy­droxy­meth­yl)-2-oxidoeth­yl]imino­meth­yl}phenolato)tetra­copper(II) ethanol monosolvate 2.5-hydrate

The title compound, [Cu4(C11H13NO4)4]·CH3CH2OH·2.5H2O, is an electronically neutral tetra-nuclear copper(II) complex with a cubane-like Cu4O4 core. The complete molecule has point group symmetry 2. The phenol hy-droxy group and one of the three alcohol hy-droxy groups of each 2-{[tris-(hy-droxy-meth-yl)meth-yl]imino-meth-yl}phenol ligand are depro-ton-ated, while the secondary amine and the other two hy-droxy groups remain unchanged. The Cu(II) atoms in the Cu4O4 core are connected by four μ3-O atoms from the deprotonated alcohol hy-droxy groups. Each of the penta-coordinated Cu(II) ions has an NO4 distorted square-pyramidal environment through coordination to the tridentate Schiff base ligands. The Cu-N/O bond lengths span the range 1.902 (4)-1.955 (4) Å, similar to values reported for related structures. There are O-H⋯O hydrogen-bond inter-actions between the complex molecules and the ethanol and water solvent molecules, leading to the formation of a three-dimensional network. The ethanol solvent molecule is disordered about a twofold rotation axis. One of the two independent water molecules is also located on this twofold rotation axis and shows half-occupancy.