Thermal and structural studies of the chloro complexes of cobalt,nickel and copper with 3-phenylpyridine

The chloro complexes of cobalt, nickel and copper with 3-phenylpyridine were prepared in ethanolic solution from which solid compounds were isolated. The cobalt and copper complexes have stoichiometry M₂LCl₄ while the nickel complex has stoichiometry NiLCl₂. The suggested structure for the cobalt and copper complexes is tetrahedral, while for the nickel complex it is octahedral. Thermal analysis studies show that the cobalt and copper complexes form intermediate complexes before their metal oxides are produced. The nickel complex also forms an intermediate complex and then nickel chloride before the nickel oxide is obtained.