Synthesis, crystal structure and study of the crystal packing in the complex bis(4-aminopyridine-κN 1)dichloridocobalt(II)

Abstract

Despite the large number of reported crystalline structures of coordination complexes bearing pyridines as ligands, the relevance of π–π interactions among these hereroaromatic systems in the stabilization of their supramolecular structures and properties is not very well documented in the recent literature. The title compound, [CoCl2(C5H6N2)2], was obtained as bright-blue crystals suitable for single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis from the reaction of 4-aminopyridine with cobalt(II) chloride in ethanol. The new complex was fully characterized by a variety of spectroscopic techniques and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The crystal structure showed a tetrahedral complex stabilized mainly by bidimensional motifs constructed by π–π interactions with large horizontal displacements between the 4-aminopyridine units, and N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds. Other short contacts, such as C—H...Cl interactions, complete the three-dimensional arrangement. The supramolecular investigation was extended by statistical studies using the Cambridge Structural Database and a Hirshfeld surface analysis.