The NiII,HgII and CuII complexes of 12‐membered‐ring mixed‐donor macrocycles

The structures of di­aqua(1,7‐dioxa‐4‐thia‐10‐aza­cyclo­do­decane)­nickel dinitrate, [Ni(C₈H₁₇NO₂S)(H₂O)₂](NO₃)₂, (I), bis­(nitrato‐O,O′)(1,4,7‐trioxa‐10‐aza­cyclo­do­decane)­mercury, [Hg(NO₃)₂(C₈H₁₇NO₃)], (II), and aqua­(nitrato‐O)(1‐oxa‐4,7,10‐tri­aza­cyclo­do­decane)copper nitrate, [Cu(NO₃)(C₈H₁₉N₃O)(H₂O)]NO₃, (III), reveal each macrocycle binding in a tetradentate manner. The conformations of the ligands in (I) and (III) are the same and distinct from that identified for (II). These differences are in agreement with molecular‐mechanics predictions of ligand conformation as a function of metal‐ion size.