1,1'-[(Ethane-1,2-diyldioxy)di-o-phenylene]bis(indoline-2,3-dione) (L) and a novel [Ag2L2]2+ metallocycle based on coordination-driven Ag-O and Ag-π bonds.

1,1'-[(Ethane-1,2-diyldioxy)di-o-phenylene]bis(indoline-2,3-dione), C(32)H(24)N(2)O(6), L or (I), adopts a trans conformation with the two terminal indoline-2,3-dione groups located on opposite sides of the central ether bridge, as required by a centre of inversion located at the mid-point of the ethane C-C bond. However, in the discrete binuclear Ag(I) metallocycle complex salt bis{μ-1,1'-[(ethane-1,2-diyldioxy)di-o-phenylene]bis(indoline-2,3-dione)}disilver(I) bis(hexafluoridoantimonate), [Ag(2)(C(32)H(24)N(2)O(6))(2)][SbF(6)](2), (II), synthesized by combination of L with AgSbF(6), L adopts a gauche conformation to bind Ag(I) via the two indolinedione O atoms and two C atoms from the phenoxy ring. One dione O atom from the opposite side of the ether bridge completes the irregular coordination environment of each Ag(I) atom. The complex is on a centre of inversion located between the Ag(I) atoms. In the solid state, these binuclear [Ag(2)L(2)](2+) metallocycles stack together via intermolecular π-π interactions to generate a one-dimensional chain motif, with the [SbF(6)](-) counter-ions, which are disordered, located between the chains.