title: (Nitrato-κ(2) O,O')bis-(1,10-phenanthroline-κ(2) N,N')copper(II) tricyano-methanide.
abstract: The title compound, [Cu(NO3)(C12H8N2)2][C(CN)3], is formed of discrete [Cu(NO3)(phen)2](+) complex cations (phen is 1,10-phenanthroline) and C(CN)3(-) counter-anions. The Cu(II) atom has an asymmetric tetragonal-bipyramidal (4 + 1+1) stereochemistry with a pseudo-C2 symmetry axis bis-ecting the nitrate ligand and passing through the Cu(II) atom between the two phen ligands. The four N atoms of the phen ligands coordinate to the Cu(II) atom with Cu-N distances in the range 1.974 (2)-2.126 (2) Å, while the two O atoms coordinate at substanti-ally different distances [2.154 (2) and 2.586 (2) Å]. The structure is stabilized by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds and weak π-π inter-actions between nearly parallel benzene and pyridine rings of two adjacent phen mol-ecules, with centroid-centroid distances of 3.684 (2) and 3.6111 (2) Å, and between π-electrons of the tricyano-methanide anion and the pyridine or benzene rings [N⋯(ring centroid) distances = 3.553 (3)-3.875 (3) Å].
authors.affiliation: Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Moyzesova 11, SK-041 54 Košice, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Katarína
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lacková
authors.forename: Ivan
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Potočňák