In a recent report [1] of the crystal structure of polymeric [NaPb(en)(ClO 4 )-(NO 2 ) 2 ] n (en ethane-1,2-diamine), Morsali has drawn the conclusions that the Pbatoms are four-coordinate and that a stereochemically active lone pair is present. Although the coordination chemistry of Pb II has been subjected to detailed analyses [2 ± 4], it is frequently the case that the establishment of the coordination number of the metal, and, hence, of its coordination geometry, remain somewhat arbitrary tasks [3 ± 5]. Thus, instances where the situation appears to be clear-cut are of particular interest.The claim of a strongly hemidirected four-coordination of Pb II in [NaPb(en)-(ClO 4 )(NO 2 ) 2 ] n implies certain limits, not stated, upon PbÀN and PbÀO distances considered to involve bonding interactions, the general issue of how to describe the origins of atomic contacts within crystalline solids being of considerable current interest [6]. Similarly, a limit must be defined for the NaÀO separations taken as bonding, and the eight-coordination assigned to Na in [NaPb(en)(ClO 4 )(NO 2 ) 2 ] n is associated with NaÀO distances varying from 2.363(6) to 2.949(8) ä. There is little unusual in such a range of distances for Na I [7], but it is even more true of Pb II that Pb (donor atom) separations associated with coordination can vary over a wide range [3 ± 5]. Justification has been advanced for consideration of PbÀO separations at least as great as 3.1 ä, as indicative of (single) bonding [8], and there are many instances of significantly longer contacts, where a similar conclusion appears plausible [5] 1 ). Thus, it must be noted that in [NaPb(en)(ClO 4 )(NO 2 ) 2 ] n , the two nitrite ligands described as unidentate on Pb (PbÀO 2.604(5) and 2.629(5) ä, resp.) could be taken as asymmetrically bidentate, since there are contacts from the other anion O-atoms at 2.922(5) and 2.875(5) ä, respectively, to the same metal center 2 ). Further, the N-atoms of the NO À 2 groups, considered to be bound (via oxygen) to two other Pb atoms, are found at distances of 3.243(6) and 3.317(6) ä, respectively, from Pb.If all four of these longer contacts are taken to indicate coordinate bonding, then Pb II is eight-coordinate, a far-from-unusual situation for the metal [2 ± 4]. The coordination geometry, however, remains strongly hemidirected, and, now, further analysis becomes ambiguous. One feature of the lattice of [NaPb(en)(ClO 4 )(NO 2 ) 2 ] n is that Pb(en) units can be considered to lie in columns in such a way that the ethylene bridge of a diamine chelate on one metal lies directly over what could be considered the Helvetica Chimica Acta ± Vol. 88 (2005) 2430 ¹ 2005 Verlag Helvetica Chimica Acta AG, Z¸rich 1 ) For similar difficulties in interpreting Pb ¥¥¥ Pb separations in terms of metal ± metal bonds, see [9]. 2 ) As chelates, the NO À 2 groups form a D pair at all Pb centers, consistent with the observation that the material crystallizes as a conglomerate, with all the en chelates being of d-conformation in the chosen crystal.