A copper–polyol complex: [Na2(C2H6O2)6][Cu(C2H4O2)2]

The ionic title complex, bis(mu-ethylene glycol)-kappa(3)O,O':O';kappa(3)O:O,O'-bis[(ethylene glycol-kappa(2)O,O')(ethylene glycol-kappaO)sodium] bis(ethylene glycolato-kappa(2)O,O')copper(II), [Na(2)(C(2)H(6)O(2))(6)][Cu(C(2)H(4)O(2))(2)], was obtained from a basic solution of CuCl(2) in ethylene glycol and consists of discrete ions interconnected by O-H...O hydrogen bonds. This is the first example of a disodium-ethylene glycol complex cation cluster. The cation lies about an inversion center and the Cu(II) atom of the anion lies on another independent inversion center.