(Acetonitrile){2,6-bis[1-(2,4,6-trimethylphenylimino)ethyl]pyridine} dichloridoruthenium(II) dichloromethane solvate

In the title compound, [RuCl2(C2H3N)(C27H31N3)] center dot CH2Cl2, the Ru-II ion is six-coordinated in a distorted octahedral arrangement, with the two Cl atoms located in the apical positions, and the pyridine (py) N atom, the two imino N atoms and the acetonitrile N atom located in the basal plane. The two equatorial Ru - N-imino distances are almost equal ( mean 2.087 angstrom) and are substantially longer than the equatorial Ru - N-py bond [1.921 ( 4) angstrom]. It is observed that the N-imino-M-N-py angle for the five-membered chelate rings of pyridine-2,6-diimine complexes is inversely related to the magnitude of the M-N-py bond. The title structure is stabilized by intra- and intermolecular C-H center dot center dot center dot Cl hydrogen bonds, as well as by van der Waals interactions.