Metallation of β-propiolactam; crystal structures of Hg(C3H4NO)2·H2O and of the bimetallic polymeric 48-membered macrocyclic complex [Hg3(C3H4NO)6Er2(NO3)6]n

Abstract
β-Propiolactam (LH = C3H5NO) is shown to be metallated at the nitrogen atom to form the complex HgL2·H2O (1) and, in the presence of both mercury(II) and erbium(III) ions, to form a polymeric, 48-membered, puckered macrocyclic array [Hg3(L)6Er2(NO3)6]n(2).