An unsymmetrical dinuclear scandium complex comprising salophen ligands [H(2)salophen = N,N'-bis-(salicyl-idene)-1,2-phenyl-enedi-amine].

Treatment of scandium nitrate tetra-hydrate with the tetra-dentate ligand H(2)salophen [N,N'-bis-(salicyl-idene)-1,2-phenyl-enedi-amine] afforded the yellow dinuclear complex Sc(NO(3))(2)(μ-salophen)Sc(salophen)(EtOH) or [Sc(2)(C(20)H(14)N(2)O(2))(2)(NO(3))(2)(C(2)H(6)O)] (systematic name: (ethanol-κO)bis-(nitrato-κ(2) O,O'){μ-2,2'-[1,2-phenyl-enebis(nitrilo-methanylyl-idene)]diphenolato-κ(4) N,N',O,O':κ(2) O,O'}{2,2'-[1,2-phenyl-enebis(nitrilo-methanylyl-idene)]diphenolato-κ(4) O,N,N',O'}discandium). In this compound, one salophen ligand displays a bridging coordination via the two oxygen atoms, while the other salophen ligand is attached to only one Sc center. This arrangement is stabilized by a hydrogen-bonded EtOH co-ligand, and by π-π stacking inter-actions between the two salophen ligands.