Crystal structure and electrochemical properties of [Ni(bztmpen)(CH(3)CN)](BF(4))(2) {bztmpen is N-benzyl-N,N′,N′-tris­[(6-methyl­pyridin-2-yl)meth­yl]ethane-1,2-di­amine}

The mononuclear nickel title complex (acetonitrile-κN){N-benzyl-N,N′,N′-tris­[(6-methyl­pyridin-2-yl)meth­yl]ethane-1,2-di­amine}­nickel(II) bis­(tetra­fluor­ido­borate), [Ni(C(30)H(35)N(5))(CH(3)CN)](BF(4))(2), was prepared from the reaction of Ni(BF(4))(2)·6H(2)O with N-benzyl-N,N′,N′-tris­[(6-methyl­pyridin-2-yl)meth­yl]ethane-1,2-di­amine (bztmpen) in aceto­nitrile at room temperature. With an open site occupied by the aceto­nitrile mol­ecule, the nickel(II) atom is chelated by five N-atom sites from the ligand and one N atom from the ligand, showing an overall octa­hedral coordination environment. Compared with analogues where the 6–methyl substituent is absent, the bond length around the Ni(2+) cation are evidently longer. Upon reductive dissociation of the acetro­nitrile mol­ecule, the title complex has an open site for a catalytic reaction. The title complex has two redox couples at −1.50 and −1.80 V (versus F (c) (+/0)) based on nickel. The F atoms of the two BF(4) (−) counter-anions are split into two groups and the occupancy ratios refined to 0.611 (18):0.389 (18) and 0.71 (2):0.29 (2).