PREPARATION AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE DETERMINATION OF [(C2H5)(4)N]2HG3CL8

The title compound has been prepared in two different ways: First, by boiling single crystals of [(C2H5)(4)N]HgCl3 in a mixture of n-hexane/ n-octane [4:1] at T = 350 K, and second, in a synthesis from stoichiom etric quantities of the components. X-ray structure analysis gave the stoichiometry [(C2H5)(4)N]2Hg3Cl8, monoclinic, space group P2(1), a = 7.538(3), b = 19.909(6), c = 10.274(3) Angstrom, beta = 95.13(1)degree s V = 1535.7(9) Angstrom(3), Z = 2. The basic [Hg3Cl8](2-)-units form broken zig-zag chains along [100]. The Hg-Cl distances within the [Hg3 Cl8](2-) clusters range from 2.315(3) to 2.755(4) Angstrom. This is a new coordination type for halomercurates.