title: The Z' = 12 superstructure of Λ-cobalt(III) sepulchrate trinitrate governed by C-H...O hydrogen bonds.
abstract: Λ-Cobalt(III) sepulchrate trinitrate crystallizes in P6322 with Z = 2 (Z' = 1/6) at room temperature. Slabs perpendicular to the hexagonal axis comprise molecules Co(sepulchrate) alternating with nitrate groups A and B. Coordinated by six sepulchrate molecules, highly disordered nitrate groups C are accommodated between the slabs. Here we report the fully ordered, low-temperature crystal structure of Co(sep)(NO3)3. It is found to be a high-Z' structure with Z' = 12 of the 12-fold 6a_{h}\times\sqrt{3}b_{h}\times c_{h} superstructure with monoclinic symmetry P21 (c unique). Correlations between structural parameters are effectively removed by refinements within the superspace approach. Superstructure formation is governed by a densification of the packing in conjunction with ordering of nitrate group C, the latter assuming different orientations for each of the Z' = 12 independent copies in the superstructure. The Co(sep) moiety exhibits small structural variations over its 12 independent copies, while orientations of nitrate groups A and B vary less than the orientations of the nitrate group C do. Molecular packing in the superstructure is found to be determined by short C-H...H-C contacts, with H...H distances of 2.2-2.3 Å, and by short C-H...O contacts, with H...O distances down to 2.2 Å. These contacts presumably represent weak C-H...O hydrogen bonds, but in any case they prevent further densification of the structure and strengthening of weak N-H...O hydrogen bonds with observed H...O distances of 2.4-2.6 Å.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Somnath
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Dey
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schönleber
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Swastik
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mondal
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Siriyara Jagannatha
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Prathapa
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Crystallography, University of Bayreuth, Bayreuth, Germany.
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: van Smaalen
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark.
authors.forename: Finn Krebs
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Larsen
keywords: Z′ superstructure; commensurately modulated structure; hydrogen bonding; superspace