ORTEP views of a) one crystallographically independent complex [CuCl2(HL3)] in 3 (co-crystallised solvent is omitted) and b) of [CuCl(L3)] in 3´. Selected bond distances (Å) and bond angles (deg) in 3: Cu1–N6 1.979(4), Cu1–N14 1.973(4), Cu1–N17 2.034(4), Cu1–Cl1 2.2460(12), Cu1–Cl2 2.4567(14), N6–Cu1–N14 78.72(17), N14–Cu1–N17 78.33(16), Cu2–N28 1.986(5), Cu2–N36 1.969(4), Cu2–N39 2.031(4), Cu2–Cl3 2.2309(14), Cu2–Cl4 2.5054(13), N28–Cu2–N36 79.09(18), N36–Cu2–N39 78.36(18). Details of coordination geometry in 2: τ5 (Cu1) = 0, τ5 (Cu2) = 0.06 (second crystallographically independent molecule); in 3´: Cu–N6 1.937(3), Cu–N14 1.953(3), Cu–N17 2.019(3), Cu–Cl 2.2058(9), N6–Cu–N14 79.52(12), N14–Cu–N17 80.27(12).