The synthesis, characterization, structure determination and reactivity study of a highly stable vanadium(III) complex of picolinic acid (picH)-a monoacid bidentate chelating donor-is reported. It can be kept in open air for days and can be heated up to 180 degrees C without oxidation. The complex [V(pic)(3)]. H2O crystallizes in the monoclinic system with space group C2/c. The V-III acceptor centre is in a highly distorted octahedral donor environment. The reason for this exceptional stability of the complex towards oxidation is evident from the analysis of the structural and electrochemical data. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd
