Bis[1,2-bis(3,5-dimethylphenyl)ethylene-1,2-dithiolato(1−)]nickel(II)

The title compound, [Ni(C₁₈H₁₈S₂)₂], <b>1</b>, crystallizes upon an inversion center in monoclinic <i>P</i>2₁/<i>c</i> with intra-ligand C-S and C-C_chelate bond lengths that are indicative of the radical monoanionic redox level for the di-thiol-ene ligand. The arene rings are canted at angles of 43.54 (4) and 71.36 (3)° with respect to the NiS₄ plane. Mol-ecules of <b>1</b> form columnar stacks along the <i>a</i> axis of the cell with a ∼59° angle between the mol-ecular plane and the stacking axis. Adjacent stacks alternate in the directionality of their cant relative to the stacking axis such that a 37.2° angle is defined by the core NiS₄ planes of mol-ecules from adjoining columns. Inter-molecular inter-actions are governed by methyl C-H→π_arene hydrogen bonds, with each mol-ecule enjoying four such inter-actions as acceptor and providing four such inter-actions as donor.