Crystal structure of μ-cyanido-1:2κ2 N:C-dicyanido-1κC,2κC-bis­(quinolin-8-amine-1κ2 N,N′)-2-silver(I)-1-silver(II): rare occurrence of a mixed-valence AgI,II compound

The title dinuclear complex, [Ag2(CN)3(C9H8N2)2], may be considered as an Ag(II) compound with the corresponding metal site coordinated by two bidentate quinolin-8-amine mol-ecules, one cyanide group and one dicyanidoargentate(I) anion, [Ag(CN)2](-). Since this latter ligand contains an Ag(I) atom, the complex should be a class 1 or class 2 mixed-valence compound, according to the Robin-Day classification. The Ag(II) atom is six-coordinated in a highly distorted octa-hedral geometry, while the Ag(I) atom displays the expected linear geometry. In the crystal, the amino groups of the quinolin-8-amine ligands form N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds with the N atoms of the non-bridging cyanide ligands, forming a two-dimensional network parallel to (102). The terminal cyanide ligands are not engaged in polymeric bonds and the title compound is an authentic mol-ecular complex. The title mol-ecule is thus a rare example of a stable Ag(I,II) complex, and the first mixed-valence Ag(I,II) mol-ecular complex characterized by X-ray diffraction.