A pentanuclear complex exhibiting two short Ni-Cu distances

Racemic crystals of the title species, (1S/R,2S'/R)-bis[(1S,2S)-trans-3,3'-(1,2-cyclohexanediyldinitrilo)bis(2-methylpropane-2-thiolato)]-1 kappa(4)N(1), N-1', S-1, S-1';2kappa(4)N(2) ,N-2', S-2, S-2'; 3kappa(2)S(1), S-2'; 4kappa(2)S(1)', S-2;5kappa(2)S(1)', S-2'-trichloro-3kappaCl,4kappaCl,5kappaCl-tricopper(I)dinickel(II) bis(dimethylformamide) solvate, contain C-centered columns of chiral pentanuclear [Ni-2(C14H28N2S2)(2){(CuCl)-Cl-I}(3)] complexes (R,R and S,S) hydrogen bonded to dimethylformamide (C3H7NO) solvent molecules. Intercluster C-H...Cl hydrogen bonds link the complexes to form layers parallel to the ab plane. In each complex, three (CuCl)-Cl-I groups bridge four S(thiolate) atoms of two Ni(C14H28N2S2)units, forming an Ni2Cu3S4 core with the connectivity of the C atoms in bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane. Two of the Cu-I ions exhibit short contacts with Ni, suggesting weak Ni-Cu bonding. The complex molecule exhibits twofold site symmetry (site 4e in space group C2/c).