[Hg(9-methyl-1-deazapurine)2](NO3)2 · H2O: a complex with a distorted hexagonal bipyramidal metal ion coordination sphere

The mercuric ion in [Hg(9-methyl-1-deazapurine)2](NO3)2 · H2O adopts a distorted hexagonal bipyramidal coordination geometry. Nitrate ions form layers of honeycomb-like chains, with HgII being positioned inside the combs. This complex represents a model for metal-mediated base pairs as recently introduced in a novel class of artificial nucleic acids.