Synthesis and crystal structure of poly[ethanol(μ-4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide)di-μ-thio­cyanato-cobalt(II)]

In the crystal structure of the title compound, the Co^II cations are octa­hedrally coordinated by two bridging and one terminal thio­cyanate anions, two bridging 4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands and one ethanol mol­ecule and linked into chains by single μ-1,3-bridging anionic ligands that are further connected into layers by pairs of μ-1,1(O,O)-bridging 4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands.

Reaction of 4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide and Co(NCS)₂ in ethanol as solvent accidentally leads to the formation of single crystals of Co(NCS)₂(4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide)(ethanol) or [Co(NCS)₂(C₆H₇NO)(C₂H₆O)]_n. The asymmetric unit of the title compound consists of one Co^II cation, two crystallographically independent thio­cyanate anions, one 4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligand and one ethanol mol­ecule on general positions. The cobalt cations are sixfold coordinated by one terminal and two bridging thio­cyanate anions, two bridging 4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands and one ethanol mol­ecule, with a slightly distorted octa­hedral geometry. The cobalt cations are linked by single μ-1,3(N,S)-bridging thio­cyanate anions into corrugated chains, that are further connected into layers by pairs of μ-1,1(O,O)-bridging 4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands. The layers are parallel to the bc plane and are separated by the methyl groups of the 4-methyl­pyridine N-oxide coligands. Within the layers, intra­layer hydrogen bonding is observed.