SYNTHESIS AND CRYSTAL-STRUCTURE OF THE HETERONUCLEAR CHAIN TRICHLOROACETATE CUND2(CL3CCOO)(8)CENTER-DOT-6H(2)O

Blue single crystals of the heteronuclear trichloroacetate CuNd2(Cl3CC OO)(8).6H(2)O were obtained by reaction of a mixture of the oxides, Nd 2O3 and CuO, with trichloroacetic acid in an aqueous solution at pH ap proximate to 2 - 4 in the temperature range of 30 - 35 degrees C. The crystal structure of CuNd2(Cl3CCOO)(8)6H(2)O as determined from X-ray single crystal data [triclinic, space group, P (1) over bar, Z = 2, a = 1177.3(2), b = 1207.1(2), c = 1984.3(3) pm, alpha = 98.97(1), beta = 107.14(1), gamma = 102.14(1)degrees] consists of heteronudear chains built from dimers of two crystallographically independent types of (es sentially) [Nd-Os] polyhedra linked through four bidentate trichloroac etate ligands. These dimers are further connected by [CuO4] planar squ ares. Two water molecules (OW1 OW2) add to a strongly distorted octahe dron and further link the polyhedra surrounding Cu2+ and Nd3+ so that the sequence ...OW1-Cu-OW2-Nd1-Nd2-OW1-... is observed in the chain di rection. The chains are further connected via a hydrogen bonding syste m to layers that have all the chlorine atoms of the trichloroacetate l igands on top and bottom.