catena-Poly[tris(μ3-acetylacetonato)nickelate(II)sodium(I)]

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Coordination Chemistry
• Materials Science

Background:

• Acetylacetonate (acac) ligands are versatile in coordinating with metal ions.
• Heterometallic coordination complexes offer unique electronic and structural properties.
• Nickel(II) complexes with octahedral geometry are well-studied but often lack alkali metal incorporation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel heterometallic complex involving sodium and nickel.
• To investigate the coordination environment and structural assembly of the [NaNi(C5H7O2)3]n complex.
• To explore the bridging capabilities of acetylacetonate ligands in alkali and transition metal systems.

Main Methods:

• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction was used to determine the complex's structure.
• Coordination geometry and site symmetry analysis were performed.
• Interatomic distances, including Ni···Na, were measured.

Main Results:

• The complex [NaNi(C5H7O2)3]n features an anionic tris(acetylacetonato)nickelate(II) unit, [Ni(acac)3](-), with octahedral geometry.
• Sodium cations balance the charge and bridge two [Ni(acac)3](-) units via oxygen atoms.
• Linear chains, [Na{Ni(acac)3}]n, are formed along the c axis with a Ni···Na distance of 2.9211(10) Å.

Conclusions:

• The synthesized complex represents a rare example of a heterometallic system with alkali and transition metals bridged by acetylacetonate ligands.
• The observed fac configuration of oxygen coordination around sodium leads to the formation of 1D polymer chains.
• The study provides insights into the structural diversity and assembly of coordination polymers involving common organic ligands.