Dinuclear zinc(II) complexes of a [6,6]-unsymmetrical compartmental ligand

The unsymmetric compartmental proligand HL bearing adjacent but dissimilar tridentate N2O donor sets each capable of forming a six-membered chelate ring at a metal centre has given the dinuclear zinc(II) complexes [Zn2L(OAc)2](BPh4)2 1 and [Zn2L(OAc)(NCS)2] 3. The crystal structures of these complexes are reported together with that of [Ni2L(OAc)2(MeOH)](BPh4)2 2.