Bis(1,10-phenanthroline-N,N′)copper(II) tetrathionate and tris(1,10-phenanthroline-N,N′)copper(II) tetrathionate pentahydrate

The structures of [Cu(C12H8N2)(2)(S4O6)], (I), and [CU(C12H8N2)(3)](S4O6).5H(2)O, (II), are reported. Compound pound (I) consists of infinite polymeric chains where copper displays a typical (4+2) coordination and prepare S4O6 connects Cu(phen)(2) (phen is phenanthroline) units through rather long Cu...O contacts. Compound (II), instead, has a purely ionic character displaying [Cu(phen)(3)](2+) and S4O62- monomeric units. Equatorial and apical bonds in the copper coordination spheres have mean values of 2.003(5)/2.467(12) and 2.056 (3)/2.311(13)Angstrom for (I) and (II), respectively. Some short O...OW contacts in (II) suggest the existence of hydrogen bonding involving some of the water molecules of hydration.