Crystal structures of a series of bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) complexes containing N-donor pyridyl ligands

Crystal structures for a series of bis(acetylacetonato)oxovanadium(IV) complexes containing N-donor pyridyl ligands are reported, namely, bis(acetylacetonato-kappa O-2,O')oxido(pyridine-kappa N)vanadium(IV), [V(C5H7O2)(2)O(C5H5N)], 1, bis(acetylacetonato-kappa O-2,O')oxido(pyridine-4-carbonitrile-kappa N)vanadium(IV), [V(C5H7O2)(2)O(C6H4N2)], 2, and bis(acetylacetonato-kappa O-2,O')(4-methoxypyridine-kappa N)oxidovanadium(IV), [V(C5H7O2)(2)O(C6H7NO)], 3, Compounds 1-3 have the formulae VO(C5H7O2)(2)L, where L = pyridine (1), 4-cyanopyridine (2), and 4-methoxypyridine (3). Compound 1 was previously reported [Meicheng et al. (1984). Kexue Tongbao, 29, 759-764 and DaSilva, Spiazzi, Bortolotto & Burrow (2007). Acta Crystallogr., E63, m2422] and redetermined here at cryogenic temperatures. Compounds 1 and 2 as pyridine and 4-cyanopyridine adducts, respectively, crystallize as distorted octahedral structures with the oxo and pyridyl ligands trans to one another. A crystallographic twofold axis runs through the O-V-N bonds. Compound 3 containing a 4-methoxypyridine ligand crystallizes as a distorted octahedral structure with the oxo and pyridyl ligands cis to one other, removing the twofold symmetry seen in the other complexes.