A binuclear Cu(II)/Ca(II) thio­cyanate complex with a Schiff base ligand derived from o-vanillin and ammonia

The new heterometallic complex, aqua-1κO-bis­(μ(2)-2-imino­methyl-6-meth­oxy­phenolato-1κ(2) O (1),O (6):2κ(2) O (1),N)bis­(thio­cyanato-1κN)calcium(II)copper(II), [CaCu(C(8)H(8)NO(2))(2)(NCS)(2)(H(2)O)], has been synthesized using a one-pot reaction of copper powder, calcium oxide, o-vanillin and ammonium thio­cyanate in methanol under ambient conditions. The Schiff base ligand (C(8)H(9)NO(2)) is generated in situ from the condensation of o-vanillin and ammonia, which is released from the initial NH(4)SCN. The title compound consists of a discrete binuclear mol­ecule with a {Cu(μ-O)(2)Ca} core, in which the Cu⋯Ca distance is 3.4275 (6) Å. The coordination geometries of the four-coordinate copper atom in the [CuN(2)O(2)] chromophore and the seven-coordinate calcium atom in the [CaO(5)N(2)] chromophore can be described as distorted square planar and penta­gonal bipyramidal, respectively. In the crystal, O—H⋯S hydrogen bonds between the coordinating water mol­ecules and thio­cyanate groups form a supra­molecular chain with a zigzag-shaped calcium skeleton.