The isolation and crustal structure of the powerful Lewis acid, planar tetrakispyridine cobalt(II), [Co(C5H5N)(4)](2+), as its mixed chloride hexafluorophosphate salt

The isolation and characterization of [Co(C5H5N)(4)] (Cl)(PF6). 2C(5)H(5)N by single-crystal X-ray diffraction [refined to R = 0.079, R(w) = 0.049] are reported. The crystals were isolated in low yield from the products of the reaction between cobalt(II) acetate tetrahydrate, pyridine, water, acetic acid, ozone and ammonium hexafluorophosphate. The structure of [Co(C5H5N)(4)](Cl)(PF6). 2C(5)H(5)N consists of planar [Co(C5H5N)(4)](2+) units at the corners of the unit cell. A PF6- ion is situated at the centre of the unit cell and chloride ions are located at the mid-points of the short edges of the unit cell, 3.176(2) Angstrom from each cobalt atom. The Co-N distance is 2.00(2) Angstrom.