A novel trinuclear cobalt(II) complex derived from an asymmetric Salamo-type N2O3 bisoxime chelate ligand: synthesis, structure and optical properties.

A novel trinuclear Co(II) complex, {[CoL(PrOH)]2Co(H2O)}·PrOH, has been synthesized with 6-ethoxy-6'-hydroxy-2,2'-[ethylenedioxybis(nitrilomethylidyne)]diphenol (H3L), and characterized by elemental analyses, FT-IR, UV-Vis, molar conductance and X-ray crystallographic analysis. Two n-propanol molecules and one water molecule coordinate to three Co(II) ions and four μ-phenoxo oxygen atoms from two [CoL(CH3CH2CH2OH)] units also coordinating to Co(II) ion. All the penta-coordinated Co(II) ions of the Co(II) complex have a slightly distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordinated polyhedron. Meanwhile, the μ-phenoxo bridges play important roles in assembling Co(II) ions and L(3-) units, which is different from the normal trinuclear Co(II) complexes with the Salamo-type ligands reported early.