Crystal structure of [NiHg(SCN)4(CH3OH)2] n

Area of Science:

• Inorganic Chemistry
• Crystallography
• Materials Science

Background:

• Coordination polymers offer diverse structural motifs and properties.
• Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are of interest for various applications.
• The synthesis of novel coordination compounds is crucial for advancing materials science.

Purpose of the Study:

• To synthesize and characterize a novel coordination polymer containing nickel and mercury.
• To elucidate the crystal structure and bonding of the title compound.
• To investigate the role of methanol molecules and hydrogen bonding in the framework stabilization.

Main Methods:

• Gel-growth method utilizing tetra-meth-oxy-silane as a gelling agent.
• Single-crystal X-ray diffraction for crystal structure determination.
• Infrared spectroscopy for vibrational analysis (implied by coordination).

Main Results:

• The title compound, catena-poly[[bis-(methanol-κO)nickel(II)]-di-μ-thio-cyanato-κ(4) N:S-mercurate(II)-di-μ-thio-cyanato-κ(4) N:S], was successfully synthesized.
• The crystal structure features interconnected HgS4 tetrahedra and trans-NiN4O2 octahedra forming a 3D framework.
• Methanol molecules are coordinated to Ni(II) cations and stabilized by weak O-H⋯S hydrogen bonds.

Conclusions:

• The gel-growth method is effective for synthesizing complex coordination polymers.
• The resulting 3D framework exhibits interesting structural features due to linked metal-centered polyhedra.
• The hydrogen bonding network plays a role in the overall stability of the crystal structure.