Published online by Cambridge University Press: 25 February 2011
Alcohol interchange reactions between barium and copper(II) methoxides and triethanolamine give Ba(teaH-l)2,2EtOH and [Cu(teaH-2)]4,3tea, respectively. Triethanolamine appears as a tetradentate ligand -chelating in the case of barium, bridging-chelating for copper - and thus ensures high coordination numbers for the metals - eight for Ba and five for Cu - thus decreasing their susceptibility to hydrolysis. The remaining hydroxyl functionality on the coordinated triethanolamine moities favors the formation of solvates with alcohols via H-bonding.