Adducts of bis(acetylacetonato)zinc(II) with 1,10‐phenanthroline and 2,2′‐bipyridine

In each of the zinc(II) complexes bis(acetylacetonato‐κ²O,O′)(1,10‐phenanthroline‐κ²N,N′)zinc(II), Zn(C₅H₇O₂)₂(C₁₂H₈N₂)], (I), and bis(acetylacetonato‐κ²O,O′)(2,2′‐bipyridine‐κ²N,N′)zinc(II), Zn(C₅H₇O₂)₂(C₁₀H₈N₂)], (II), the metal center has a distorted octahedral coordination geometry. Compound (I) has crystallographically imposed twofold symmetry, with Z′ = 0.5. The presence of a rigid phenanthroline group precludes intramolecular hydrogen bonding, whereas the rather flexible bipyridyl ligand is twisted to form an intramolecular C—H...O interaction the chelated bipyridyl ligand is nonplanar, with the pyridyl rings inclined at an angle of 13.4 (1)°]. The two metal complexes are linked by dissimilar C—H...O interactions into one‐dimensional chains. The present study demonstrates the distinct effects of two commonly used ligands, viz. 1,10‐phenanthroline and 2,2′‐bipyridine, on the structures of metal complexes and their assembly.