The crystal and molecular structure of dichlorotris(tetrahydrofuran)-p-tolylchromium(III)

Abstract

The structure of dichlorotris(tetrahydrofuran)-p-tolylchromium(III), pCH₃C₆H₄CrCl₂,3THF, has been determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction methods. The crystals are orthorhomic, space group Pbca with a= 10·396, b= 18·447 and c= 22·396 Å. The chromium is octahedrally co-ordinated with two chlorine ligands trans and two tetrahydrofuran ligands trans: the p-tolyl group, which is sigma-bonded to the chromium (Cr–C = 2·014 ± 0·010 Å), is trans to the third tetrahydrofuran ligand. The Cr–O bonds which are trans to one another are essentially equal and are normal in length (2·045 ± 0·008 Å). However, the Cr–O bond to the tetrahydrofuran group trans to the p-tolyl group is much longer (2·214 ± 0·007 Å) than the other two.