Synthesis, crystal structure and properties of catena-poly[[[bis­(3-methyl­pyridine-κN)nickel(II)]-di-μ-1,3-thio­cyanato] aceto­nitrile monosolvate]

In the crystal structure of the title compound, {[Ni(NCS)(2)(C(6)H(7)N)(2)]·CH(3)CN}( n ), the Ni(II) cation is octa­hedrally coordinated by two N-bonding and two S-bonding thio­cyanate anions, as well as two 3-methyl­pyridine coligands, with the thio­cyanate S atoms and the 3-methyl­pyridine N atoms in cis-positions. The metal cations are linked by pairs of thio­cyanate anions into chains that, because of the cis–cis–trans coordination, are corrugated. These chains are arranged in such a way that channels are formed in which disordered aceto­nitrile solvate mol­ecules are located. This overall structural motif is very similar to that observed in Ni(NCS)(2)[4-(boc-amino)­pyridine](2)·CH(3)CN reported in the literature. At room temperature, the title compound loses its solvent mol­ecules within a few hours, leading to a crystalline phase that is structurally related to that of the pristine material. If the ansolvate is stored in an aceto­nitrile atmosphere, the solvate is formed again. Single-crystal X-ray analysis at room-temperature proves that the crystals decompose immediately, presumably because of the loss of solvent mol­ecules, and from the reciprocal space plots it is obvious that this reaction, in contrast to that in Ni(NCS)(2)[4-(boc-amino)­pyridine](2)·CH(3)CN, does not proceed via a topotactic reaction.