(3-Methylbenzonitrile-κN)tetrakis(μ-N-phenylacetamidato)-κ4N:O;κ4O:N-dirhodium(II)(Rh—Rh)

• Main Authors: Jennie Tan, Kenneth K. Kpogo, Nkongho Atem-Tambe, Cassandra T. Eagle, Fredricka Quarshie
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: International Union of Crystallography 2013-12-01
• Series: Acta Crystallographica Section E
• Online Access: http://scripts.iucr.org/cgi-bin/paper?S1600536813029838
• ISSN: 1600-5368

In the title compound, [Rh2(C8H8NO)4(C8H7N)], the four acetamidate ligands bridging the dirhodium core are arranged in a 2,2-trans manner. One RhII atom is five-coordinate, in a distorted pyramidal geometry, while the other is six-coordinate, with a disorted octahedral geometry. For the six-coordinate RhII atom, the axial nitrile ligand shows a non-linear Rh–nitrile coordination with an Rh—N—C bond angle of 166.4 (4)° and a nitrile N—C bond length of 1.138 (6) Å. Each unique RhII atom is coordinated by a trans pair of N atoms and a trans pair of O atoms from the four acetamide ligands. The Neq—Rh—Rh—Oeq torsion angles on the acetamide bridge varies between 12.55 (11) and 14.04 (8)°. In the crystal, the 3-methylbenzonitrile ring shows a π–π interaction with an inversion-related equivalent [interplanar spacing = 3.360 (6) Å]. A phenyl ring on one of the acetamide ligands also has a face-to-face π–π interaction with an inversion-related equivalent [interplanar spacing = 3.416 (5) Å].