Source of materialThe starting material 1-(carboxymethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-3-ium-3-acetate was prepared from chloroacetic acid and benzimidazole [1]. 1-(Carboxymethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-3-ium-3-acetate (0.0937 g, 0.4 mmol) was dissolved in 50% ethanol (20 ml) containing NaOH (0.0161 g, 0.4 mmol). The resulting solution was added dropwise to ahot solution of nickel dichloride hexahydrate (0.0952 g, 0.4 mmol) dissolved in the same solvent (10 ml) under continuous stirring for 3h.After filtration, the bluegreen filtrate was kept at room temperature. By slow evaporation of the solvent blue block-like crystals suitable for X-ray diffraction were obtained.
Experimental detailsThe two Hatoms (H1A and H1B) were positioned geometrically and refined as riding on their parent atom O1W. The remaining H atoms were located in difference Fourier maps, and were refined with distance restraints giving
DiscussionImidazole and benzimidazole carboxylic acids and their derivatives have attracted broad interest because of their functional properties such as antifilarial, antineoplastic, anthelmintic and antiviral activities [2][3][4]. In addition, these compounds are used widely as ligands in the coordination chemistry of supramolecular metal complexes, because the Na tom in the imidazole or benzimidazole ring and the Oatoms in the carboxylate groups can act as donor sites [5]. However, studies of metal complexes with these ligands as zwitterions are still rare [6,7]. In the molecular structure of the title compound the Ni II atom lies at acrystallographic inversion center and is coordinated by six O atoms from water molecules with aslightly distorted octahedral environment ( figure, top). The metal-oxygen bonds are in the range from 2.055(1) to 2.065(1) Å,the bond angles around each metal center range from 88.86(4)°to 180°. Both bond lengths and angles are in good agreement with those of comparable hexaaquanickel complex, e.g. theophylline-7-acetate hexaaquanickel(II) tetrahydrate [8] or hexaaquanickel(II) bis(diphenyl aminosquarate) dihydrate [9]. Within the asymmetric unit, each2+ cation is connected with neighboring 1-(carboxymethyl)-1,3-benzimidazol-3-ium-3-acetato anions via hydrogen bonds betweencoordinated water Oatom and the uncoordinated carboxyl Oa tom, namely O5-H5A···O4ii ,O 5 -H5B···O2, O6-H6B···O3 iv ,O7-H7A···O1 v (symmetry codes: (ii) x,y,z+1; (iv) 3-x,-y+2,-z;(v) -x+1,-y+2,-z+1). Besides, the water molecules act as hydrogen-bond donors to carboxylate Oatom as well as hydrogen-bond acceptors of coordinated water Oa toms. Thus, the relative independent components [Ni(H 2O)6] 2+ ,1-(carboxymethyl)-1,3-benzimidazol-3-ium-3-acetato anions and lattice H 2 Omolecules are assembled into two-dimensional layers parallel to (001). The non-classical hydrogen bonds (C-H···O) link adjacent layers to form athree-dimensional network (figure, bottom).