Novel coordination of dicyanamide, [N(CN) 2 ] − : preferential binding of the amide nitrogen

CoII[N(CN)2]2(H2BiIm)2, 1, and [CoII[N(CN)2](H2BiIm)2]Cl, 2 (H2BiIm = 2,2'-biimidazole) have been structurally, spectroscopically, and magnetically characterized with both containing dicyanamides bound in unprecedented manners; namely, solely via the amide nitrogen for 1, and via an imide N forming 1-D helical chains for 2.