Transition metal complexes with thiosemicarbazide-based ligands. LIII. [4-(2-Diphenylphosphino-alpha-ethoxybenzyl-kappaP)-S-methyl-1-(4-oxidopent-3-en-4-ylidene-kappaO)thiosemicarbazido-kappa(2)N(1),N(4)]nickel(II).

The title compound, [Ni(C(28)H(30)N(3)O(2)PS)], crystallizes with two independent molecules in the asymmetric unit. The Ni(II) atoms are in significantly deformed square-planar environments formed by an ONNP donor set from a thiosemicarbazide-based tetradentate ligand. The Ni(II) atom and the ONN donor atoms are nearly coplanar, while the P atom deviates from their mean planes by 0.278 (4) and 0.202 (4) Angstrom for the two independent molecules. The P-containing chelate rings are remarkably non-planar, adopting a boat conformation, which is unusual for chelate rings in transition metal complexes with thiosemicarbazide-based tetradentate ligands. The orientation of the ethoxy group bonded to this chelate ring is caused by an intramolecular C-H...pi interaction with the opposing phenyl ring. There are no hydrogen bonds; instead, numerous intermolecular C-H...pi interactions dominate in the crystal packing.