A Water-Bridged Dinuclear Complex of Cobalt(II), Pyridine and Stearic Acid

In the crystal structure of [mu]-aqua-1:2[kappa]²O-tetrapyridine1[kappa]²N,2[kappa]²N-bis([mu]-stearato)- 1[kappa]²O:2[kappa]²O'-bis(stearato)-1[kappa]O,2[kappa]O-dicobalt(II), [Co₂(C₁₈H₃₅O₂)₄(C₅H₅N)₄(H₂O)], hydrogen bonding [with an O...O distance of 2.564 (5) Å] between the H atoms of the bridging water and the non metal-bonding O atoms of the monodentate stearic acid molecules; stabilizes the dimeric core complex and consequentially limits chain packing and conformation options. The structure is a member of a rare class of compounds, the well crystallized metallic salts of long-chain fatty acids. The structure also bears a remarkable similarity to built-up Langmuir-Blodgett films of metal carboxylates.

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