Bis(tert-butyl-3-oxobutanoato)dipyridinenickel(II) benzene solvate

Abstract

The title compound, [ Ni( C8H13O3)(2)( C5H5N)(2)]center dot C6H6, a potential metal-organic chemical vapour deposition ( MOCVD) precursor, crystallizes with half a molecule of the complex and half a molecule of benzene in the asymmetric unit, both molecules being centrosymmetric. The Ni atom is at the origin ( 0, 0, 0), while the centroid of the benzene solvent molecule is at another centre of symmetry ( 0, 1 2, 1 2). The Ni atom has a distorted octahedral environment, with four O atoms from the bidentate tert-butyl-3-oxobutanoate ligand units in the axial positions and the two N atoms of the pyridine ligands at the apical positions. C-H center dot center dot center dot pi contacts [ 3.021 ( 4) angstrom] between solvent benzene and the pyridine ligand, along with pi-pi stacking interactions [ 3.896 ( 1) angstrom] between adjacent pyridine ligands, result in a packing motif along the c axis.