Synthesis and characterization of the dihydrosalpren ligand (H2L1) and of its trinuclear Ni(II) complex

The synthesis of the new unsymmetrical tetradenclate Schiff ligand N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)-N'-(2-hydroxybenzylidene)-1,3-diaminopropane (H2L1) is reported. The ligand comprises two different coordination moieties: a rigid salicylaldimmine unit and a more flexible (2-hydroxybenzyl)-amino (hydrogenated salicylaldimmine) unit. The reaction of H2L1 with Ni(OAc)(2)center dot 4H(2)O (1:1 molar ratio) leads to the spontaneous formation of a trinuclear complex with composition ({Ni(L-1)OH2](2)(OAc)(2)Ni}center dot 2H(2)O, characterized by X-ray crystallography, where two [Ni(L-1)] units act as O,O-bidentate chelate to a Ni(II) ion.