A binuclear Cu/Ca thio-cyanate complex with a Schiff base ligand derived from -vanillin and ammonia.

The new heterometallic complex, aqua-1κ-bis-(μ-2-imino-methyl-6-meth-oxy-phenolato-1κ , :2κ ,)bis-(thio-cyanato-1κ)calcium(II)copper(II), [CaCu(CHNO)(NCS)(HO)], has been synthesized using a one-pot reaction of copper powder, calcium oxide, -vanillin and ammonium thio-cyanate in methanol under ambient conditions. The Schiff base ligand (CHNO) is generated from the condensation of -vanillin and ammonia, which is released from the initial NHSCN. The title compound consists of a discrete binuclear mol-ecule with a {Cu(μ-O)Ca} core, in which the Cu⋯Ca distance is 3.4275 (6) Å. The coordination geometries of the four-coordinate copper atom in the [CuNO] chromophore and the seven-coordinate calcium atom in the [CaON] chromophore can be described as distorted square planar and penta-gonal bipyramidal, respectively. In the crystal, O-H⋯S hydrogen bonds between the coordinating water mol-ecules and thio-cyanate groups form a supra-molecular chain with a zigzag-shaped calcium skeleton.