Synthesis of nickel( II ), copper( II ), zinc( II ), and cadmium( II ) complexes of 2-[(2-mercaptophenyl)iminomethyl] pyrrole and 2-[(2-mercaptoethyl)-iminomethyl]pyrrole by the electrochemical cleavage of a disulphide bond: the crystal structure of bis{2-[(pyrrol-2-yl)methyleneamino]thiophenolato-S,N}zinc( II )

The electrochemical oxidation of anodic metal (nickel, copper, zinc, or cadmium) in acetonitrile solutions of the Schiff bases derived from 2-pyrrolecarbaldehyde and bis(2-aminophenyl)disulphide (H2L2) or cysteamine (H2L2′) gives compounds [ML], [ML′] or [Zn(HL)2]. The crystal structure of bis{2-[(pyrrol-2-yl)methyleneamino]thiophenolato}zinc(II) is orthorhombic, space group Pbca with a= 13.764(3), b= 17.819(1), c= 16.593(2)Å, and Z= 8. The zinc atom has ZnS2N2 distorted tetrahedral stereochemistry and the pyrrolic nitrogen atoms are not co-ordinated.