Acyclic Schiff base salts derived from 1,3-diaminopropane and 1,3-diamino-2-hydroxypropane.

Two salts of acyclic Schiff base cationic ligands, namely N,N'-bis(2-nitrobenzyl)propane-1,3-diammonium dichloride monohydrate, C(17)H(22)N(4)O(4)(2+).2Cl(-).H(2)O, (I), and 2-hydroxy-N,N'-bis(2-nitrobenzyl)propane-1,3-diammonium dichloride, C(17)H(22)N(4)O(5)(2+).2Cl(-), (II), were synthesized as precursors in order to obtain new acyclic and macrocyclic multidentate ligands and complexes. The cation conformations in compounds (I) and (II) are different in the solid state, although the cations are closely related chemically. Similarly, the hydrogen-bonding networks involving ammonium cations, hydroxyl groups and chloride anions are also different. In the cation of compound (II), the hydroxyl group is disordered over two sets of sites, with occupancies of 0.785 (8) and 0.215 (8).