Crystal structure of a nickel compound comprising two nickel(II) complexes with different ligand environments: [Ni(tren)(H2O)2][Ni(H2O)6](SO4)2

The title compound, diaqua[tris(2-aminoethyl)amine]nickel(II) hexaaquanickel(II) bis(sulfate), [Ni(C6H18N4)(H2O)2][Ni(H2O)6](SO4)2 or [Ni(tren)(H2O)2][Ni(H2O)6](SO4)2, consists of two octahedral nickel complexes within the same unit cell. These metal complexes are formed from the reaction of [Ni(H2O)6](SO4) and the ligand tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (tren). The crystals of the title compound are purple, different from those of the starting complex [Ni(H2O)6](SO4), which are turquoise. The reaction was performed both in a 1:1 and 1:2 metal–ligand molar ratio, always yielding the co-precipitation of the two types of crystals. The asymmetric unit of the title compound, which crystallizes in the space group Pnma, consists of two half NiII complexes and a sulfate counter-anion. The mononuclear cationic complex [Ni(tren)(H2O)2]2+ comprises an Ni ion, the tren ligand and two water molecules, while the mononuclear complex [Ni(H2O)6]2+ consists of another Ni ion surrounded by six coordinated water molecules. The [Ni(tren)(H2O)2] and [Ni(H2O)6] subunits are connected to the SO42− counter-anions through hydrogen bonding, thus consolidating the crystal structure.