Crystal structure of chloro[dodeca(dimethylamino)cyclohexaphosphazene-NNNN]cobalt(II) di-µ-chloro-bis[dichlorocobaltate(II)]–bischloroform

Abstract

Crystals of the title compound are monoclinic, a= 13·017, b= 17·439, c= 23·879 Å, β= 93·89°, Z= 2, space group P2₁/c. The structure was determined from diffractometer data by a combination of direct and Patterson methods, and refined by full-matrix least-squares procedures to R 0·093 for 2695 observed reflexions. The cation is similar to that in a related copper complex, cobalt being bonded to four nitrogen atoms of the phosphazene ring and to one chlorine atom in a configuration between a square pyramid and trigonal bipyramid. The anionic cobalt is present as the hitherto unrecognized centrosymmetrical Co₂Cl₆^2– ion, in which two chlorine bridges complete tetrahedral co-ordination about the cobalt atoms.