Crystal structure of a dinuclear CoIIcomplex with bridging fluoride ligands: di-μ-fluorido-bis{tris[(6-methylpyridin-2-yl)methyl]amine}dicobalt(II) bis(tetrafluoridoborate)

Reaction of Co(BF4)2·6H2O with tris-[(6-methyl-pyridin-2-yl)meth-yl]amiine in methanol results in a fluoride abstraction from BF4 (-), yielding the unexpected title compound, [Co2F2(C21H24N4)2](BF4)2. The complex cation consists of two inversion-related [Co(C21H24N4)](2+) moieties bridged by a pair of fluoride ligands. The Co(II) cation is six-coordinated in a distorted octa-hedral geometry and forms a +II high-spin state. In the crystal, the complex cation and the BF4 (-) anion are connected by C-H⋯F hydrogen bonds, forming a three-dimensional network. An intra-molecular C-H⋯F hydrogen bond is also observed.