Novel polynuclear cadmium complexes resulting from ring-opening reactions of 2,6-bis(2-r-2-benzoxazolinyl)pyridine (R = Me or H); X-ray structures of [Cd4(C21H17N3O2)2·(MeCO2)4]·Me2NCHO·H2O and [Cd3(C19H13N3O2)2·(MeCO2)2·(Me2NCHO)2]

Abstract

In solution the 2,6-bis(2-R-2-benzoxazolinyl)-pyridines (R = Me or H) undergo ring opening in the presence of Cd(MeCO₂)₂ to give unusual polynuclear complexes with very different structures; the differences may be attributed to steric interactions in the ligand with R = Me preventing this from adopting a near-planar configuration.