A tetra­nuclear cubane-like nickel(II) complex with a tridentate salicyl­idene­imine Schiff base ligand: tetra­kis­[μ(3)-4-methyl-N-(2-oxidophen­yl)salicylideneiminato]tetra­kis­[methano­lnickel(II)] methanol 0.8-solvate

The tetra­nuclear title complex, [Ni(4)(C(14)H(11)NO(2))(4)(CH(3)OH)(4)]·0.8CH(3)OH, has a distorted cubane topology shaped by four Schiff base ligands. The cubane [Ni(4)(μ(3)-O(4))] core is formed via the O atoms from the Schiff base ligands. The octa­hedrally coordinated Ni(II) ions occupy alternating vertices of the cube. Each Ni(II) ion is coordinated by one O,N,O′-tridentate dianionic ligand, two O atoms of oxidophenyl groups from adjacent ligands and the O atom of a coordinating methanol mol­ecule. The cubane core is stabilized via an intra­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bond between the hy­droxy group of the coordinating methanol mol­ecules and the phenolate O atom of the aldehyde Schiff base fragment. Additional stabilization is obtained via intra­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving aromatic C—H groups and the oxygen atoms of adjacent methanol mol­ecules. In the crystal, complex mol­ecules are linked into chains parallel to the c axis via weak C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The partial-occupancy disordered methanol solvent mol­ecule has a site occupancy of 0.8 and is linked to the tetra­nuclear unit via an inter­molecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond involving a phenolate O atom.