Electrochemical Synthesis of M II Complexes with a Schiff Base containing an Amido Group. Crystal Structure of a Cobalt(II) Complex with a Reorganised Ligand

M(HL)(H 2 O) n complexes have been obtained by the electrochemical reaction of Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and Cd anodes with the potentially pentadentate and trianionic asymmetrical Schiff base 3‐aza‐ N ‐{2‐[1‐aza‐2‐(5‐nitro‐2‐hydroxylphenyl)‐vinyl]phenyl}‐4‐(5‐nitro‐2‐hydroxyphenyl)but‐3‐enamide (H 3 L), containing a hard amido donor atom. The complexes have been characterized by elemental analysis, mass spectrometry, IR and 1 H NMR spectroscopies, magnetic measurements and molar conductivities. Co(HL)(H 2 O) ( 2 ) has been found to rearrange in DMF solution into a crystallographically solved octahedral complex, CoL 1 (H 2 O) 2 ( 7 ) [where H 2 L 1 is the symmetrical Schiff base ligand N,N′ ‐(1,2‐phenylene)‐bis(5‐nitro‐3‐hydroxysalicylidenimine)]. A hydrolysis mechanism is discussed to explain this rearrangement.