Defect-Induced Acceleration of a Solid-State Chemical Reaction in Zinc Alkoxide Single Crystals

A family of dinuclear (salicylaldimato)zinc(μ2-alkoxide) complexes show unusual behavior, decomposing to olefins
and the corresponding μ2-hydroxide complexes under very mild conditions in the solid state. The reaction in
homogeneous solution is, on the other hand, not observable, even at elevated temperatures over extended periods
of time. The reaction in the solid state occurs preferentially on one crystallographic face and displays kinetics
characteristic of polymorphic transformations in single crystals.