The dinuclear copper(II) complexes di-μ-chlorido-bis­{[N,N′-bis­(4-chloro­benz­yl)propane-1,2-diamine]chloridocopper(II)} and di-μ-chlorido-bis­{[N,N′-bis­(3,4-methyl­enedioxy­benz­yl)­prop­ane-1,2-diamine]chloridocopper(II)}

The two title dinuclear copper(II) complexes, [Cu₂Cl₄(C₁₇H₂₀Cl₂N₂)₂], (I), and [Cu₂Cl₄(C₁₉H₂₂N₂O₄)₂], (II), have similar coordination environments. In each complex, the asymmetric unit consists of one half-mol­ecule and the two copper centres are bridged by a pair of Cl atoms, resulting in complexes with centrosymmetric structures containing Cu(μ-Cl)₂Cu paral­lelogram cores; the Cu...Cu separations and Cu—Cl—Cu angles are 3.4285 (8) Å and 83.36 (3)°, respectively, for (I), and 3.565 (2) Å and 84.39 (7)° for (II). Each Cu atom is five-coordinated and the coordination geometry around the Cu atom is best described as a distorted square-pyramid with a τ value of 0.155 (3) for (I) and 0.092 (7) for (II). The apical Cu—­Cl bond length is 2.852 (1) Å for (I) and 2.971 (2) Å for (II). The basal Cu—Cl and Cu—N average bonds lengths are 2.2673 (9) and 2.030 (2) Å, respectively, for (I), and 2.280 (2) and 2.038 (6) Å for (II). The mol­ecules of (I) are linked by one C—H...Cl hydrogen bond into a complex [10] sheet. The mol­ecules of (II) are linked by one C—H...Cl and one N—H...O hydrogen bond into a complex [100] sheet.