A one-dimensional Hg^II coordination polymer based on bis-(pyridin-3-ylmeth-yl)sulfane

The reaction of mercury(II) chloride with bis-(pyridin-3-ylmeth-yl)sulfane (L, C₁₂H₁₂N₂S) in methanol afforded the title crystalline coordination polymer catena-poly[[di-chlorido-mercury(II)]-μ-bis-(pyridin-3-ylmeth-yl)sulfane-κ²N:N'], [HgCl₂L] . The asymmetric unit consists of one Hg^II cation, one L ligand and two chloride anions. Each Hg^II ion is coordinated by two pyridine N atoms from separate L ligands and two chloride anions. The metal adopts a highly distorted tetra-hedral geometry, with bond angles about the central atom in the range 97.69 (12)-153.86 (7)°. Each L ligand bridges two Hg^II ions, forming an infinite -(Hg-L) - zigzag chain along the b axis, with an Hg⋯Hg separation of 10.3997 (8) Å. In the crystal, adjacent chains are connected by inter-molecular C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, together with Hg-Cl⋯π inter-actions [chloride-to-centroid distance = 3.902 (3) Å], that form between a chloride anion and the one of the pyridine rings of L, generating a two-dimensional layer extending parallel to (101). These layers are further linked by inter-molecular C-H⋯π hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional supra-molecular network.