The [Cu
4OCl
6(IMIDH)
4] complex has been synthesized and its crystal structure and magnetic properties determined.The compound crystallizes as a dark green solid in the orthorhombic system, space group
P2
12
12
1, with cellconstants
a = 11.469(2) Å,
b = 13.933(2) Å,
c = 16.778(3) Å and four formula units per cell. The complex hasa tetrameric structure of four copper(II) ions connected to a central oxo group, in an approximately tetrahedralarrangement. Copper coordination is completed by three
2-chloride ions and an imidazole nitrogen atom, defininga trigonal bipyramidal environment around each copper ion. A new Heisenberg exchange scheme has beendeveloped, considering the experimentally observed distortion of the Cu
4 tetrahedron. The magnetic susceptibilitiesmeasurements were interpreted by means of this model, in terms of three coupling constants,
J = -7.65 cm
-1,
JS = 83.3 cm
-1, and
JL = -58.8 cm
-1, which show a linear correlation with the observed Cu-O-Cu angles.