Two different one-dimensional supramolecular chains formed from the reaction of 2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)1H-benzimidazol-2-yl] quinoline with two different precursors, Co(NO3)(2) and CoCl2

Two different one-dimensional supra­molecular chains with CoII cations have been synthesized based on the semi-rigid ligand 2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]quinoline (L), obtained by condensation of 2-(1H-benzimidazol-2-yl)quinoline and 4-(chloro­methyl)pyridine hydro­chloride. Starting from different CoII salts, two new compounds have been obtained, viz. catena-poly[[[dinitrato­cobalt(II)]-μ-2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-benzimidazol-2-yl]quinoline] di­chloro­methane mono­solvate aceto­nitrile mono­solvate], {[Co(NO3)2(C22H16N4)]·CH2Cl2·CH3CN}n, (I) and catena-poly[[[di­chlorido­cobalt(II)]-μ-2-[1-(pyridin-4-ylmethyl)-1H-benz­imidazol-2-yl]quinoline] methanol disolvate], {[CoCl2(C22H16N4)]·2CH3OH}n, (II). In (I), the CoII centres lie in a distorted octa­hedral [CoN3O3] coordination environment. {Co(NO3)2L}n units form one-dimensional helical chains, where the L ligand has different directions of twist. The helical chains stack together via inter­chain π–π inter­actions to form a two-dimensional sheet, and another type of π–π inter­action further connects neighbouring sheets into a three-dimensional framework with hexa­gonal channels, in which the aceto­nitrile mol­ecules and disordered di­chloro­methane mol­ecules are located. In (II), the CoII centres lie in a distorted trigonal–bipyramidal [CoCl2N3] coordination environment. {CoCl2L}n units form one-dimensional chains. The chains inter­act via C—H⋯π and C—H⋯Cl inter­actions. The result is that two-dimensional sheets are generated, which are further linked into a three-dimensional framework via inter­layer C—H⋯Cl inter­actions. When viewed down the crystallographic b axis, the methanol solvent mol­ecules are located in an orderly manner in wave-like channels.