Single crystals of mercuric bis(N-imino-methyl-formamidate), Hg(Imf) 2 , were obtained from aqueous solutions of 1,2,4triazole and Hg(NO 3 ) 2 · 2H 2 O. The crystal structure [monoclinic, P2 1 /c (no. 14), a ϭ 499.6(2), b ϭ 1051.2(4), c ϭ 711.1(3) pm, β ϭ 117.55(1)°, Z ϭ 2, R 1 for 890 reflections with I 0 >2σ(I 0 ): 0.0369] contains linear centrosymmetric Hg(Imf) 2 molecules with HgϪN Divalent mercury as a heavy closed-shell d 10 cation has a remarkably high affinity towards N-donor ligands [1]. Relativistic effects are responsible for the preference of the characteristic coordination number 2 (over 4 or 6) although a large variety of effective coordination numbers [2] are well known. The characteristic coordination number 2 is associated with short HgϪN distances of highly covalent bonding character whenever the free electron pair of the N-donor ligand is well available. This is certainly the case in the zero-to three-dimensional cationic complexes [Hg(NH 3 [Hg 3 (NH) 2 ] 2ϩ [5] and [Hg 2 N] ϩ [5], all based on Millon's seminal work [6]. In these, HgϪN distances are all between 204 and 208 pm with NϪHgϪN angles of 180°. These are apparently the shortest HgϪN distances seen so far in a linear NϪHgϪN arrangement.With a new ligand, the anion of N-imino-methyl-formamide, Imf Ϫ , formed unintentionally when a Hg II -1,2,4-triazole complex was attempted, we have now again observed HgϪN distances at the lower limit, of only 203.5(7) pm in Hg(Imf) 2 .
Results and DiscussionMercury(II) bis(N-imino-methyl-formamidate), Hg(Imf) 2 , was obtained from aqueous solutions of 1,2,4-triazole and Hg(NO 3 ) 2 · 2H 2 O. Presumably, HImf has formed through a degradation process of 1,2,4-triazole under the influence of Hg II . Similar degradation processes have been reported for six-membered heterocyclic compounds, pyridazine, pyrimidine and pyrazine, where also HImf has been observed as one of the intermediates [7].The crystal structure contains linear centrosymmetric Hg(Imf) 2 molecules, Fig. 1, with HgϪN distances of only 203.5(7) pm. CϭO and CϭN as well as CϪN distances in the N-imino-methylformamidate "anion" are as one would expect. Four further nitrogen atoms add to a very distorted octahedral effective coordination ( Fig. 1), two of which are intramolecular at d(HgϪN) ϭ