Synthesis and crystal structure of bis[μ-N,N-bis(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine]bis[N,N-bis(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine]-μ₄-oxido-hexa-μ₃-oxido-octa-μ₂-oxido-tetraoxidotetranickel(II)hexatantalum(V) nonadecahydrate

Abstract

Reaction of K8{Ta6O19}·16H2O with [Ni(tren)(H2O)Cl]Cl·H2O in different solvents led to the formation of single crystals of the title compound, [Ni4Ta6O19(C6H18N4)4]·19H2O or {[Ni2(κ4-tren)(μ-κ3-tren)]2Ta6O19}·19H2O (tren is N,N-bis(2-aminoethyl)-1,2-ethanediamine, C6H18N4). In its crystal structure, one Lindqvist-type anion {Ta6O19}8– (point group symmetry \overline{1}) is connected to two NiII cations, with both of them coordinated by one tren ligand into discrete units. Both NiII cations are sixfold coordinated by O atoms of the anion and N atoms of the organic ligand, resulting in slightly distorted [NiON5] octahedra for one and [NiO3N3] octahedra for the other cation. These clusters are linked by intermolecular O—H...O and N—H...O hydrogen bonding involving water molecules into layers parallel to the bc plane. Some of these water molecules are positionally disordered and were refined using a split model. Powder X-ray diffraction revealed that a pure crystalline phase was obtained but that on storage at room-temperature this compound decomposed because of the loss of crystal water molecules.