Solvolthermal Syntheses and Crystal Structures of Three Linear Trinuclear Schiff Base Complexes of Zinc(II) and Cadmium(II)

Three linear trinuclear Schiff base complexes, {Zn[Zn(CH₃COO)(C₁₇H₁₆N₂O₂)]₂} ( 1 ), {Zn[Zn(CH₃COO)(C₂₅H₂₀N₂O₂)]₂} ( 2 ), and {Cd[Cd(CH₃COO)(C₁₈H₁₈N₂O₂)]₂} ( 3 ), were synthesized for the first time under solvolthermal conditions. Their structures have been characterized by elemental analyses, X-ray single crystal determinations, and infrared spectroscopy. There are three bridges across the M-M atom pairs (M is Zn for 1 and 2 , or Cd for 3 ) in each complex, involving two O atoms of a Schiff base ligand (N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-1, 3-propanediaminate (SALPD^2-) for 1 , N, N′-bis(2-hydroxy-naphthalmethenylimino)-1, 3-propanediaminate (NAPTPD^2-) for 2 , and N,N′-bis-(salicylidene)-1,4-butanediaminate (SALBD^2-) for 3 ), and an O-C-O moiety of a μ-acetato group. In each of the complexes, the central M²⁺ ion is located on an inversion center and has a distorted octahedral coordination involving four bridging O atoms from two Schiff base ligands in the equatorial plane and one O atom from each bridging acetate group in the axial positions. The coordination around the terminal M²⁺ ions is irregular square pyramidal, with two O atoms and two N atoms of the Schiff base ligand in the basal plane and one O atom from an acetate group in the apical position. The acetate bridges linking the central and terminal M²⁺ ions are mutually trans. The M…M distances are 3.050(3) Å in 1 , 3.139(2) Å in 2 , and 3.287(6) Å in 3 .