Synthesis and X-ray crystal structures of a dinuclear and a trinuclear nickel complex with mixed N,O,S ligand environments

Template reactions are described in which pentanedione or salicylaldehyde are reacted with aminoethanethiol in the presence of Ni(OAc)2·4H2O resulting directly in the reported nickel complexes. In both reactions a tridentate chelating N,O,S ligand is formed, which in the complexes is dianionic with one thiolate and one alkoxide donor atom. Starting from pentanedione a dinuclear product is obtained with bridging thiolate ligands. A folding angle of 107.1(2)° is observed between the planes Ni1S1S2 and Ni2S1S2. Starting from salicylaldehyde a trinuclear compound is obtained, in which the three nickel ions are connected to each other by the thiolate donor atom from each ligand, resulting in a six-membered ring consisting of alternating thiolate and nickel atoms.