A rare example of nickel(ii) chains based on a heteroscorpionate-like ligand with quadruple imidazolyl interactions

Abstract

The first nickel(II) complex with the heteroscorpionate-like bridging ligand DIMMAL (2-di1H-2-imidazolylmethylmalonate), [Ni(DIMMAL)(H₂O)₃]_n·3nH₂O (1), is a one-dimensional coordination polymer whose structure shows regular Ni(II) chains with H-bonding inter-chain interactions and a rare example of a Quadruple Imidazolyl Embrace (QIE). The Ni(II) chain shows a weak antiferromagnetic interaction that can be modelled with a regular S = 1 chain model including a zero field splitting with g = 2.270, J = −1.5 cm⁻¹ and D = −2.26 cm⁻¹.