Nickel(II) and copper(II) complexes of 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole: synthesis and structural characterization

2-(2-Pyridyl)benzimidazole (PBI) was synthesized by solvent-free aldol condensation and complexed with nickel(II) and copper(II) nitrate and perchlorate salts by simple reactions at room temperature. The transition metal complexes [Ni(PBI)(2)NO(3)](NO(3)) (1), [Ni(PBI)(3)](ClO(4))(2)center dot 1.5H(2)O (2), [Cu(PBI)(2)NO(3)](NO(3)) (3), and [Cu(PBI)(3)](ClO(4))(2)center dot 3H(2)O (4) (PBI = 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole) were synthesized in good yield and structurally characterized by X-ray crystallography, infrared absorption spectroscopy, and elemental analysis. Complexes 1 and 3 are isostructural, crystallizing in the same space group P2(1)/c. Both the nickel(II) and copper(II) atoms have distorted square pyramidal geometries. The metal centers in these complexes are coordinated by two molecules of the bidentate ligand (PBI) and an O-atom of the coordinated nitrate anion. Complexes 2 and 4 are also isostructural but do not crystallize in the same space group: P-1 for 2 and Pccn for 4. The geometry around both the nickel(II) and the copper(II) centers is distorted octahedral. Here, the metal atoms are coordinated by three molecules of 2-(2-pyridyl)benzimidazole. The copper(II) complex 4 has 2-fold symmetry with one of the three PBI ligands being positionally disordered about the 2-fold axis. Intermolecular N-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds, involving the NH H-atom and an O-atom of the coordinated nitrate anion, are observed in all four complexes. In 1 and 3, this gives rise to the formation of centrosymmetric dimer-like structures that are decorated by hydrogen-bonded nitrate anions. In 2 and 4 the perchlorate anions and the water molecules of crystallization are involved in N-H center dot center dot center dot O and O-H center dot center dot center dot O hydrogen bonds bridging two symmetry-related cations, thus forming cyclic arrangements. In the case of complex 4, this leads to the formation of two-dimensional hydrogen-bonded networks parallel to plane (011).