Synthesis, crystal structure and Hirshfeld and thermal analysis of bis[benzyl 2-(heptan-4-ylidene)hydrazine-1-carboxylate-κ2N2,O]bis(thiocyanato)nickel(II)

The title centrosymmetric NiII complex, [Ni(NCS)2(C15H22N2O2)2], crystallizes with one half molecule in the asymmetric unit of the monoclinic unit cell. The complex adopts an octahedral coordination geometry with two mutually trans benzyl-2-(heptan-4-ylidene)hydrazine-1-carboxylate ligands in the equatorial plane with the axial positions occupied by N-bound thiocyanato ligands. The overall conformation of the molecule is also affected by two, inversion-related, intramolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bonds. The crystal structure features N—H⋯S, C—H⋯S and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds together with C—H⋯π contacts that stack the complexes along the b-axis direction. The packing was further explored by Hirshfeld surface analysis. The thermal properties of the complex were also investigated by simultaneous TGA–DTA analyses.