Crystal structure of di-μ-chlorido-bis-(chlorido-{N1,N1-diethyl-N4-[(pyridin-2-yl-κN)methyl-idene]benzene-1,4-di-amine-κN4}mercury(II)).

The title dinuclear mercury(II) complex, [Hg2Cl4(C16H19N3)2], synthesized from the pyridine-derived Schiff base (E)-N1,N1-diethyl-N4-[(pyridin-2-yl)methyl-idene]benzene-1,4-di-amine (DPMBD), has inversion symmetry. The five-coordinated HgII atoms have distorted square-pyramidal stereochemistry comprising two N-atom donors from bidentate chelate BPMBD ligands and three Cl-atom donors, two bridging and one monodentate. The dihedral angle between the benzene and the pyridine rings in the BPMBD ligand is 7.55 (4)°. In the crystal, the dinuclear mol-ecules are linked by weak C-H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds, forming zigzag ribbons lying parallel to [001]. Also present in the structure are π-π inter-actions between benzene and pyridine rings [minimum ring-centroid separation = 3.698 (8) Å].