Bis(benzoato-κ2O,O′)(2,2′-bipyridine-κ2N,N′)lead(II) benzoic acid monosolvate

The reaction of lead acetate, benzoic acid and 2,2′-bipyridine (bipy) in aqueous solution yielded the title complex, [Pb(C7H5O2)2(C10H8N2)]·C7H6O2. The asymmetric unit contains two independent complex molecules as well as two independent benzoic acid solvent molecules, one of which is disordered over two positions with almost equal occupancies [0.504 (5) and 0.496 (5)]. The two complex molecules have similar configurations with the hexacoordinated environment of the PbII atom formed by four carboxylate O atoms of two chelate benzoate ligands and two N atoms of the bipy ligand. The Pb—O bonds involving one of the benzoate ligands are almost coplanar with Pb—N bonds to the bipy ligand [dihedral angles of 12.67 (11) and 14.73 (11)°] ; if the second benzoate ligand is treated as one coordination site, the overall coordination may be represented as a distorted pseudo-square pyramid. Weak intermolecular Pb...O interactions [3.046 (3) and 3.359 (3) Å] link each of the complex molecules into two symmetry-independent centrosymmetric dimers. Hydrogen bonds involving the carboxyl H atoms of solvent benzoic acid molecules and metal-coordinated carboxylate O atoms link complex molecules and benzoic acid solvent molecules into insular aggregates.