The structure of a
cobalt(III) tetraammine complex of 4,5-dihydroxy- 4,5-dimethyl-1-pyrroline-2-carboxylic
acid (abbreviated as hmpc), (RS,RS)-[Co(NH3)4(hmpc)] (ClO4)2,H2O, has
been determined from three- dimensional X-ray data collected by counter methods.
Crystals are monoclinic, space group P21/c, with a 11.984(5), b
8.836(4), c 19.609(7) Ǻ, β 110.58(2)�, Z 4. The structure has been
refined to weighted and unweighted R-factors of 0.068 and 0.063, respectively,
for the 1616 independent reflections with I/σ(I) ≥ 3.0. Hydrogen
atoms could not be located and have not been included in the scattering model.
There is considerable steric strain within the substituted pyrroline ligand,
and the C=N distance is 1.293(8) Ǻ. Surprisingly, the methyl groups in the
4- and 5-positions are in a cisoid configuration (the
torsion angle for the methyl groups about the 4-5 bond is 39.5�), and
consequently the hydroxyl oxygen atoms are close [O-O distance, 2.583(8) Ǻ];
this suggests that there may be a bridging hydrogen atom.