Bis[(2‐pyridyl)(2‐pyridylamino)methanolato]cobalt(III) perchlorate: a consequence of cobalt ion‐assisted oxidative deamination of a tris(pyridyl)aminal ligand

The title compound, [Co(C 11 H 10 N 3 O) 2 ]ClO 4 , designated [Co( L 2 ) 2 ]ClO 4 , was synthesized by reaction of Co II with two molar equivalents of (2‐pyridyl)bis(2‐pyridylamino)methane ( L 1 ) under ambient conditions, whereby the divalent metal ion was oxidized concomitantly with oxygenation and deamination of the aminal polydentate ligand to generate the tridentate ligand anion (2‐pyridyl)(2‐pyridylamino)methanolate, L 2 − . In the X‐ray crystal structure of the complex cation, [Co( L 2 ) 2 ] + , the two L 2 − ligands are coordinated to the central cobalt(III) metal ion in a facial mode to afford a pseudo‐octahedral geometry. The four pyridyl N atoms constitute the equatorial plane on which the cobalt(III) ion lies; the methanolate O atoms occupy the axial positions.