An unsymmetrical dinuclear scandium complex comprising salophen ligands [H2salophen = N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-1,2-phenylenediamine]

Treatment of scandium nitrate tetra­hydrate with the tetra­dentate ligand H2salophen [N,N′-bis­(salicyl­idene)-1,2-phenyl­enedi­amine] afforded the yellow dinuclear complex Sc(NO3)2(μ-salophen)Sc(salophen)(EtOH) or [Sc2(C20H14N2O2)2(NO3)2(C2H6O)] (systematic name: (ethanol-κO)bis­(nitrato-κ2O,O′){μ-2,2′-[1,2-phenyl­enebis(nitrilo­methanylyl­idene)]diphenolato-κ4N,N′,O,O′:κ2O,O′}{2,2′-[1,2-phenyl­enebis(nitrilo­methanylyl­idene)]diphenolato-κ4O,N,N′,O′}discandium). In this compound, one salophen ligand displays a bridging coordination via the two oxygen atoms, while the other salophen ligand is attached to only one Sc center. This arrangement is stabilized by a hydrogen-bonded EtOH co-ligand, and by π–π stacking inter­actions between the two salophen ligands.