HEAVY-METAL PI-COMPLEXES .6. INTRAMOLECULAR AND INTERMOLECULAR ANTIMONY-CP-PI INTERACTIONS IN PHOTOSENSITIVE C5H5SBCL2

Single crystals of thermolabile, light sensitive C5H5SbCl2 have been prepared from C5H5Sn(CH3)3 and SbCl3 in diethylether at -35-degrees-C. The X-ray crystal structure analysis (P2(1)2(1)2(1); a 663.1(2), b 1018.9(2), c 1126.1(2) pm, Z = 4, R = 0.031) shows C5H5SbCl2 molecules with the cyclopentadienyl ligand in a eta-3-bonded state (short, long, long). Additional intermolecular Sb-Cp contacts in the typical range of 'Menshutkin type' interactions result in a chiral chain structure. Important bond lengths: Sb-Cl: 239, 240 pm; Sb-C: 227, 258, 260 pm; Sb-C': 341-358 pm.