Crystal structure of tetrakis(μ-n-butyrato-κ2O:O′)bis[chloridorhenium(III)](Re—Re)

Abstract

With an inversion center at the mid-point of the two ReIIIatoms, the title compound, [Re2Cl2{O2C(CH2)2CH3}4], exhibits a paddle-wheel or lantern-type structure with fourn-butyrate groups bridging two ReIIIatoms in asyn–synfashion. The axial chloride ligands together with the Re—Re quadruple bond [2.2330 (3) Å] complete an essentially octahedral geometry around each ReIIIatom. There is little distortion, with an Re—Re—Cl bond angle of 176.18 (3)° and typicalcis-O—Re—O bond angles ranging from 89.39 (11) to 90.68 (11)°. There are two molecules in the unit cell, and no significant intermolecular interactions were noticed between molecules in the crystal.