The centrosymmetric dinuclear Cu II complex, [Cu 2Cl 4(C 24H 21N 5O 4) 2], was synthesized by the reaction of CuCl 2·2H 2O with the tripodal ligand 2,2′-[3-(1 H-imidazol-4-ylmethyl)-3-azapentane-1,5-diyl]diphthalimide ( L). Each of the Cu II ions is coordinated by two N atoms from the ligand, two bridging Cl atoms and one terminal Cl atom. The Cu II coordination can be best be described as a transition state between four- and five-coordination, since one of the bridging Cl atoms has a much longer Cu—Cl bond distance [2.7069 (13) Å] than the other [2.2630 (12) Å]. In addition, the Cu⋯Cu distance is 3.622 (1) Å. The three-dimensional structrure is generated by N—H⋯O, C—H⋯O and C—H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions [centroid–centroid distances = 3.658 (4) and 4.020 (4) Å].