Dichlorido(N,N-diethy1-4-{[(quinolin-2yl)methylidene[amino- k(2)N,N'}aniline)-mercury(11)

In the mononuclear title complex, [HgC12(C20H21N3)], synthesized from the quinoline-derived Schiff base Ni,Ni-diethyl-N-4(quinolin-2-ylmethylidene)benzene-1,4-diamine (QMBD), the coordination geometry around the Hg2+ atom is distorted tetrahedral, comprising two Cl atoms [Hg-Cl = 2.3654 (19) and 2.4394 (18) angstrom] and two N-atom donors from the QMBD ligand, viz. one imine and quinoline [Hg-N = 2.334 (5) and 2.340 (5) angstrom, respectively]. In the crystal, weak C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl hydrogen bonds and weak pi-pi aromatic ring stacking interactions [minimum ring-centroid separation 3.680 (4) angstrom] give an overall three-dimensional network.