Synthesis and structural characterization of new trinuclear cobalt(II) and nickel(II) complexes possessing five- and six-coordinated geometry

Tri-nuclear cobalt and nickel complexes ([(CoL)₂(OAc)₂Co]?·?THF (I) and [(NiL)₂(OAc)₂(THF)₂Ni]?·?THF (II)) have been synthesized by reaction of a new Salen-type bisoxime chelating ligand of 2,2′-[ethylenedioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]dinaphthol(H₂L) with cobalt(II) acetate tetrahydrate or nickel(II) acetate tetrahydrate, respectively. Complexes I and II were characterized by elemental analyses, IR, TG-DTA and ¹H-NMR etc. The X-ray crystal structures of I and II reveal that two acetate ions coordinate to three cobalt or nickel ions through M–O–C–O–M (M?=?Co or Ni) bridges and four μ-naphthoxo oxygen atoms from two [ML] units also coordinate to cobalt(II) or nickel(II). Complex I has two distorted square-pyramidal coordination spheres and an octahedral geometry around Co1. In complex II all three nickel ions are six-coordinate.