Structural and spectroscopic studies of transition metal nitrite complexes. II. Crystal structures of cis-Bis(ethane-1,2-diamine)(nitrito-O,O')zinc(II) nitrite and trans-Bis[N,N-dimethyl(ethane-1,2-diamine)]dinitritozinc(II)

Abstract

The crystal structures of the complexes cis-bis(ethane-1,2-diamine)(nitrito-O,O')zinc(II) nitrite and trans-bis[N,N-dimethyl(ethane-l,2-diamine)]dinitritozinc(II) are described. The former compound contains one chelating nitrite, the second group being present as a counter ion. In this complex the coordination polyhedron about the metal ion may be described either as a distorted trigonal bi-pyramid or an octahedron, depending upon whether the chelated nitrite is considered to occupy one or two coordination sites. The second compound is a trans nitrito complex, having an octahedral ligand geometry, though with three markedly different metal-ligand bond lengths. The structures of the complexes are compared with those of analogous nickel(II) nitrite complexes, and the differences are discussed in terms of the electron configurations of the two metal ions.