Crystal structure of di-μ-chlorido-bis(chlorido{N1,N1-diethyl-N4-[(pyridin-2-yl-κN)methylidene]benzene-1,4-diamine-κN4}mercury(II))

The title dinuclear mercury(II) complex, [Hg2Cl4(C16H19N3)2], synthesized from the pyridine-derived Schiff base (E)-N1,N1-diethyl-N4-[(pyridin-2-yl)methylidene]benzene-1,4-diamine (DPMBD), has inversion symmetry. The five-coordinated HgII atoms have distorted square-pyramidal stereochemistry comprising two N-atom donors from bidentate chelate BPMBD ligands and three Cl-atom donors, two bridging and one monodentate. The dihedral angle between the benzene and the pyridine rings in the BPMBD ligand is 7.55 (4)°. In the crystal, the dinuclear molecules are linked by weak C—H...Cl hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag ribbons lying parallel to [001]. Also present in the structure are π–π interactions between benzene and pyridine rings [minimum ring-centroid separation = 3.698 (8) Å]