Flexible cofacial binuclear metal complexes derived from alpha,alpha-bis(salicylimino)-m-xylene

The tetradentate Schiff-base ligand SIXH2 (alpha,alpha-bis(salicylimino)-m-xylene), prepared from salicylaldehyde and m-xylylenediamine, forms cofacial binuclear complexes with Pd and Cu. Of the two isomers possible (trans-syn and trans-anti) for M2(SIX)2, these complexes crystallize exclusively as the trans-anti isomer. In ansolvous Pd2(SIX)2, the metal-containing planes are approximately parallel, with PdPd 4.416(1) A. Pd2(SIX)2 also forms a crystalline solvate, in which the molecules adopt a more open conformation with longer metal-metal distances (5.109(1) and 5.112(1) A). The M...M distance is significantly longer in Cu2(SIX)2 (6.653(1) A), because of conformational changes in the m-xylylene moieties and substantial tetrahedral distortion about Cu.