Bis{2-methoxy-6-[(4-methylphenyl)iminiomethyl]phenolato-κ 2 O 1 , O 2 }tris(nitrato-κ 2 O , O ′)methanolsamarium(III)

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Sm(NO3)3(C15H15NO2)2(CH3OH)], contains two Schiff base 2-methoxy-6-[(4-methylphenyl)iminiomethyl]phenolate (HL) ligands, three nitrate ions and one methanol molecule that binds to the nine-coordinate samarium(III) ion via its O atoms. The HL ligands chelate with a strong Sm—O(deprotonated phenolic) bond and a weak Sm—O(methoxy) contact. The latter can be interpreted as the apices of the bicapped square-antiprismatic SmIIIO9 polyhedron. The Schiff base ligands are in a zwitterionic state with the phenolic H atom transferred to the imine N atom. O—H...O, O—H...N and N—H...O hydrogen bonds lend stability to the structure. One O atom of one nitrate group is equally disordered over two positions.