Crystal structure of bis­(tri­ethano­lamine-κ3 N,O,O′)nickel(II) bis­(3-hy­droxy­benzoate) tetra­hydrate

The reaction of 3-hy-droxy-benzoic (m-hy-droxy-benzoic) acid (MHBA), tri-ethano-lamine (TEA) and Ni(NO3)2 in aqueous solution led to formation of the hydrated title salt, [Ni(C6H15NO3)2](C7H5O3)·4H2O. In the complex cation, the Ni(2+) ion is located on an inversion centre. Two symmetry-related TEA ligands occupy all coordination sites in an N,O,O'-tridentate coordination, leading to a slightly distorted NiN2O4 octa-hedron. Two ethanol groups of each TEA ligand form two five-membered chelate rings around Ni(2+), while the third ethanol group does not coordinate to the metal atom. Two MHBA(-) anions in the benzoate form are situated in the outer coordination sphere for charge compensation. An intricate network of hydrogen bonds between the free and coordinating hy-droxy groups of the TEA ligands, the O atoms of the MHBA(-) anions and the water mol-ecules leads to the formation of a two-dimensional structure extending parallel to (010).