THE MOLECULAR-STRUCTURE OF ACETATO[2(PYRIDIN-2'-YL)PHENYL]MERCURY(II)

The crystal structure of the title compound was determined by X-ray cr ystallography. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal sys tem with a = 8.152(4), b = 17.994(7), c = 8.634(9) Angstrom, beta = 10 8.92(5)degrees, space group P2(1)/c (N.14), V = 1198.02 Angstrom(3), Z = 4. The mercury(II) atom forms two strong, almost colinear bonds (bo nd angle 176.1(4)degrees) with a carbon of the phenyl ring (Hg-C = 1.9 9(1) Angstrom) and one of the acetate oxygen atoms (Hg-O(1) = 2.005(7) Angstrom). These primary bonds are supplemented by secondary intramol ecular interactions with the pyridine nitrogen (Hg ... N = 2.727(9) An gstrom) and the other acetate oxygen (Hg ... O(2) = 2.925(8) Angstrom) , although the latter is very weak and the acetate anion therefore pra ctically monodentate. Weak additional intermolecular Hg-C and Hg-O(1)i nteractions contribute to the lattice structure.