Crystal structure of trans-bis­[2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)acetato-κO]bis­(ethano­lamine-κ(2) N,O)copper(II)

The reaction of 2-(1H-benzotriazol-1-yl)acetic acid (HBTA; C(8)H(7)N(3)O(2)) and mono­ethano­lamine (MEA; C(2)H(7)NO) with CuCl(2)·2H(2)O resulted in the formation of the title complex, [Cu(C(8)H(6)N(3)O(2))(2)(C(2)H(7)NO)(2)] or [Cu(BTA)(2)(MEA)(2)]. Its asymmetric unit comprises one BTA anion coordin­ating to the Cu(2+) cation (site symmetry [Image: see text]) 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 intra­molecular hydrogen bond is present between the hy­droxy group of the MEA ligand and the non-coordinating O atom of the carboxyl­ate group. Inter­molecular hydrogen bonding involving the amino function of the MEA ligand and the carboxyl­ate group results in eight-membered rings with an R (2) (2)(8) graph-set motif. The mol­ecules are further linked by C—H⋯π inter­actions involving the triazole rings and methyl­ene groups of MEA, thus generating an overall three-dimensional supra­molecular framework.