Synthesis, crystal structure and properties of tetra-kis-(pyridine-3-carbo-nitrile)-dithio-cyanatoiron(II) and of diaqua-bis-(pyridine-3-carbo-nitrile)-di-thio-cyanatoiron(II) pyridine-3-carbo-nitrile monosolvate.

The reaction of iron thio-cyanate with 3-cyano-pyridine (C6H4N2) leads to the formation of two compounds with the composition [Fe(NCS)2(C6H4N2)4] (1) and [Fe(NCS)2(C6H4N2)2(H2O)2]·2C6H4N2 (2). The asymmetric unit of 1 consists of one iron cation, two thio-cyanate anions and four 3-cyano-pyridine ligands in general positions. The iron cation is octa-hedrally coordinated by two N-bonded thio-cyanate anions and four 3-cyano-pyridine ligands. The complexes are arranged in columns along the crystallographic c-axis direction and are linked by weak C-H⋯N inter-actions. In 2, the asymmetric unit consists of one iron cation on a center of inversion as well as one thio-cyanate anion, one 3-cyano-pyridine ligand, one water ligand and one 3-cyano-pyridine solvate mol-ecule in general positions. The iron cation is octa-hedrally coordinated by two N-bonded thio-cyanate anions, two cyano-pyridine ligands and two water ligands. O-H⋯N and C-H⋯S hydrogen bonding is observed between the water ligands and the solvent 3-cyano-pyridine mol-ecules. In the crystal structure, alternating layers of the iron complexes and the solvated 3-cyano-pyridine mol-ecules are observed. Powder X-ray (PXRD) investigations reveal that both compounds were obtained as pure phases and from IR spectroscopic measurements conclusions on the coordination mode of the thio-canate anions and the cyano-group were made. Thermogravimetric (TG) and differential thermoanalysis (DTA) of 1 indicate the formation of a compound with the composition {[Fe(NCS)2]3(C6H4N2)4}n that is isotypic to the corresponding Cd compound already reported in the literature. TG/DTA of 2 show several mass losses. The first mass loss corresponds to the removal of the two water ligands leading to the formation of 1, which transforms into {[Fe(NCS)2]3(C6H4N2)4}n, upon further heating.