MONONUCLEAR INDIUM AND GALLIUM TETRACHLOROCATECHOLATE COMPLEXES

Two mononuclear tetrachlorocatecholate complexes, chlorotri ,6-tetrach loro-1,2-benzenediolato(2-)-O,O']indium, [InCl(1,2-O2C6Cl4)(py)(3)], ( 1), and 6-tetrachloro-1,2-benzenediolato(2-)-O,O']gallium, [GaCl(1,2-O 2C6Cl4)(py)(phen)], (2) (py is pyridine,C5H5N, and phen is 1,10-phenan throline, C12H8N2), have been structurally characterized as solvates, (1) as its bis(diethyl ether) solvate and (2) as its 3.5-pyridine solv ate. Both (1) and (2) contain octahedrally coordinated metals but with the nitrogen donor ligands in a mer arrangement in (1) and a fac arra ngement in (2). Stabilization by intramolecular CH ... O and CH ... Cl interactions is evident, and, together with steric considerations, is likely to promote the observed configurations. Compound (1) shows an interesting packing arrangement of infinite planar sheets held togethe r by short Cl ... Cl contacts.