Studies on the metal-amide bond. XVIII. The crystal and molecular structure of [N,N′-bis(2′-pyridinecarboxamido)-1,3-propane] nickel(II) monohydrate

[N,N′-bis(2′-pyridinecarboxamido)-1,3-propane] - nickel(II) monohydrate, C₁₅H₁₆N₄O₃Ni is monoclinic, space group P2₁/c, with a = 7.174(4), b = 18.590(3), c = 11.641(5) Å, β = 110.69(2)°, Z = 4. The structure was refined to R = 0.030 for 1826 diffractometer data using full-matrix least-squares methods. The N₄-ligand coordinates to the nickel atom in an irregular square plane [average Ni-N_amide 1.864(4), Ni-N_pyridine 1.912(3) Å and N_amide-Ni-N_amide 96.0(1), N_pyridine-Ni-N_pyridine 98.7(1)°] with a tetrahedral twist of 15.9° at the nickel atom. The two picolinamide units are related by an approximate two-fold axis and the enforced strain in the molecule results in significant non-planar distortions in the amide chelate rings and the pyridyl rings. The plane of the chelate molecule lies approximately perpendicular to [100] and the lattice water molecule hydrogen bonds amide oxygen atoms to form chains parallel to [101].