Syntheses, crystal structures and spectral properties of three chiral complexes [M((R, R)-et-pybox)Cl₂] (M=Zn and Mn) and [Ni((R, R)-et-pybox)(H₂O)₂Cl]Cl

Three chiral complexes: [M((R, R)-et-pybox)Cl₂] (M=Zn, 1, and Mn, 2) and [Ni((R, R)-et-pybox)(H₂O)₂Cl]Cl (3) ((R, R)-et-pybox is C₂-symmetric 2,6-bis[4′-(R)-ethoxyoxazolin-2′-yl]pyridine) have been synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV, TG and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses show that 1 is isostructural to 2, the obtained complexes are of isolated mononuclear and the metal atoms of 1 and 2 have distorted trigonal bipyramidal coordination environment. A feature of interest is noted in the unit cell of 3, there exist two types of molecules, which similarly have a distorted octahedral geometry but only slightly differ in the orientation of the coordinated atoms to the central Ni atom. These two types of molecules interact with each other by O–H···Cl hydrogen bonds, giving rise to one-dimensional ribbon structure.