Mononuclear and three‐dimensional metal complexes based on a multidentate hydrazone ligand

A potentially pentadentate hydrazone ligand, N′‐[1‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl)ethylidene]nicotinohydrazide (HL), was prepared from the condensation reaction of nicotinohydrazide and acetylpyrazine. Reactions of HL with MnCl₂, Mn(CH₃COO)₂ and Cd(CH₃COO)₂ afforded three metal complexes, namely dichlorido{N′‐[1‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl‐κN¹)ethylidene]nicotinohydrazide‐κ²N′,O}manganese(II), [MnCl₂(C₁₂H₁₁N₅O)], (I), bis{N′‐[1‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl‐κN¹)ethylidene]nicotinohydrazidato‐κ²N′,O]manganese(II), [Mn(C₁₂H₁₀N₅O)₂], (II), and poly[[(acetato‐κ²O,O′){μ₃‐N′‐[1‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl‐κ²N¹:N⁴)ethylidene]nicotinohydrazidato‐κ³N′,O:N¹}cadmium(II)] chloroform disolvate], {[Cd(C₁₂H₁₀N₅O)(CH₃COO)]·2CHCl₃}_n, (III), respectively. Complex (I) has a mononuclear structure, the Mn^II centre adopting a distorted square‐pyramidal coordination. Complex (II) also has a mononuclear structure, with the Mn^II centre occupying a special position (C₂ symmetry) and adopting a distorted octahedral coordination environment, which is defined by two O atoms and four N atoms from two N′‐[1‐(pyrazin‐2‐yl)ethylidene]nicotinohydrazidate (L⁻) ligands related via a crystallographic twofold axis. Complex (III) features a unique three‐dimensional network with rectangular channels, and the L⁻ ligand also serves as a counter‐anion. The coordination geometry of the Cd^II centre is pentagonal bipyramidal. This study demonstrates that HL, which can act as either a neutral or a mono‐anionic ligand, is useful in the construction of interesting metal–organic compounds.