[Phthalocyaninato(2-)]antimony(III) chloride

The title antimony(III) complex, [Sb(C32H16N8)]Cl or [SbPc]Cl (where Pc = C 32H16N82-), has been obtained from the reaction of pure powdered antimony w ith 1,2-dicyanobenzene under a stream of ICl vapour. The asymmetric unit of this complex consists of an [SbPc](+) cation and a Cl- anion. The phthaloc yaninate residue [SbPc](+) is not planar. The Sb atom lies 1.057 (3) Angstr om from the plane defined by the four isoindole N atoms. A combination of i onic and donor-acceptor interactions links the [SbPc]Cl molecules to form c entrosymmetric [(SbPc)Cl](2) pseudo-dimers in the crystal. The Sb-Cl distan ces in the pseudo-dimer are not equivalent [3.043 (2) and 3.201 (2) Angstro m]. The pseudo-dimers are weakly linked through Cl . . .H-C-benzo interacti ons to form a three-dimensional network. As a result of these interactions, the four Sn-N-isoindole bond lengths in the [SbPc](+) residue are not equi valent and the symmetry of the Sb-N core is only close to C-s.