Synthesis, thermal and spectroscopic properties, and crystal structures of [Co(bba)2(H2O)(phen)] and [Ni(bba)2(H 2O)(butOH)(phen)] (bba = 2-benzoylbenzoate, phen = 1,10-phenanthroline, butOH = butanol)

Aquabis(2-benzoylbenzoato)(1,10-phenanthroline)cobalt(II) and aquabis(2-benzoylbenzoato) (butanol)(1,10-phenanthroline)nickel(II) have been prepared and characterized by elemental analyses, IR and electronic spectroscopy, magnetic measurements, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. [Co(bba)2(H2O)(phen)] (1) and [Ni(bba)2(H 2O)(butOH)(phen)] (2) consist of neutral monomeric units and crystallize in the monoclinic (P2(1)) and triclinic (P1) crystal systems, respectively. The cobalt(II) and nickel(II) sit on inversion centres and exhibit distorted octahedral coordination. Phen is bidentate chelating. In 1, bba is both monodentate and bidentate, whereas in 2 bba is only monodentate. bba ligands are coordinated to metal(II) with carboxylates and IR spectra of both complexes display characteristic absorptions of carboxylate anions {ν(OCO)asym and ν(OCO)sym} of bba. Thermal analysis shows that mass losses of 1 from 105°C to 456°C correspond to decomposition of phen and bba, while for 2 these occur at 271-529°C. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.