4-Vinylpyridine-modified nickel and cobalt dibenzoylmethanates as new hosts: Inclusions with carbon tetrachloride and chlorobenzene

Bis(4-vinylpyridine)bis(dibenzoylmethanato)metal(II), [M(ViPy)(2)(DBM)(2)] (M = Ni(II), Co(II); ViPy = 4-Vinylpyridine; DBM = C6H5COCHCOC6H5-, dibenzo ylmethanate) is a new metal-complex host. Its inclusions with carbon tetrac hloride (host:guest=1:2; triclinic, P (1) over bar. Z=1) and chlorobenzene (host:guest = 1:1; monoclinic, P2(1)/c, Z=4) are consistent with the van de r Waals packing of neutral complex (host) and solvent (guest) molecules. In the host unit, four oxygens from two chelate DBM-units provide a square-pl anar environment around the metal center that is extended to octahedral coo rdination by two apical nitrogens from two vinylpyridine moieties in the tr ans-position. In the carbon tetrachloride inclusions, the host traps two gu est molecules in large prolate spheroidal cavities. In the chlorobenzene in clusions, guest species are located inside 8-shaped serpentine channels alo ng the y-axis. The nickel and cobalt versions of the inclusion compounds we re found to be very similar.