The crystal and molecular structures of two isostructural complexes: [(H3O•18-crown-6)2(ZnCl4)] and [(H3O•18-crown-6)2(MnCl4)]
New macrocycle polyether 18-crown-6 complexes of stoichiometry [(H3O+•18-crown-6)2(MC42−)] have been synthesized for M = Zn and Mn. The two complexes are isostructural and crystallize in the monoclinic system, space group C2/c. The unit cell dimensions are as follows: a = 16.229(9), b = 11.535(3), c = 20.134(8) Å, β = 97.55(4)° and a = 16.255(6), b = 11.625(3), c = 20.122(8) Å, β = 96.54(3)° for the Zn and Mn complexes respectively. In both crystal structures (final Rw = 0.048 with 1817 reflections for Zn and Rw = 0.074 with 728 reflections for Mn), the crown ether molecule and the H3O+ cation to which it is hydrogen-bonded are disordered over two sites. The MCl42− anions, which have tetrahedral coordination, are on crystallographic twofold axes of rotation. The Mn—Cl and Zn—Cl distances average 2.270 and 2.361 Å respectively. The hydronium cation, H3O+, has pyramidal coordination. Of the two disordered crown ether molecules in the Zn and the Mn complexes, one has a slightly deformed (ttg)6 conformation while the other one may be described as having the distorted (ttg)5(ttc) conformation. These observations are in agreement with the infrared analyses of the complexes. Keywords: 18-crown-6 complexes, hydronium ion, ZnCl42−, MnCl42−, crystal structure.