An unsymmetrical dinuclear scandium complex comprising salophen ligands [H2salophen = N,N'-bis-(salicyl-idene)-1,2-phenyl-enedi-amine].

Treatment of scandium nitrate tetra-hydrate with the tetra-dentate ligand H2salophen [N,N'-bis-(salicyl-idene)-1,2-phenyl-enedi-amine] afforded the yellow dinuclear complex Sc(NO3)2(µ-salophen)Sc(salophen)(EtOH) or [Sc2(C20H14N2O2)2(NO3)2(C2H6O)] (systematic name: (ethanol-κO)bis-(nitrato-κ2 O,O'){µ-2,2'-[1,2-phenyl-enebis(nitrilo-methanylyl-idene)]diphenolato-κ4 N,N',O,O':κ2 O,O'}{2,2'-[1,2-phenyl-enebis(nitrilo-methanylyl-idene)]diphenolato-κ4 O,N,N',O'}discandium). In this compound, one salophen ligand displays a bridging coordination via the two oxygen atoms, while the other salophen ligand is attached to only one Sc center. This arrangement is stabilized by a hydrogen-bonded EtOH co-ligand, and by π-π stacking inter-actions between the two salophen ligands.