Diaquabis[3-(hydroxyimino)butanoato]nickel(II)

In the neutral, mononuclear title complex, [Ni(C4H6NO3)(2)(H2O)(2)], the Ni atom lies on a crystallographic inversion centre within a distorted octahedral N2O4 environment. Two trans-disposed anions of 3-hydroxyiminobutanoic acid occupy four equatorial sites, coordinated by the deprotonated carboxylate and protonated oxime groups and forming six-membered chelate rings, while the two axial positions are occupied by the water O atoms. The O atom of the oxime group forms an intramolecular hydrogen bond with the coordinated carboxylate O atom. The complex molecules are linked into chains along b by hydrogen bonds between the water O atom and the carboxylate O of a neighbouring molecule. The chains are linked by further hydrogen bonds into a layer structure.