Investigation of mesitylene-solvated group 13 mixed-metal halides: syntheses and crystal structures of bis(1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)gallium(I) tetrachlorido- and tetrabromidoaluminate(III) and (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)gallium(I) tetraiodidoaluminate(III). Variation of the gallium-π-arene bond strength

Abstract

Bis(1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)gallium(I) tetra­chloridoaluminate(III), [(1,3,5-(CH3)3C6H3)2Ga][AlCl4] (1), bis(1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)gallium(I) tetrabromido­aluminate(III), [(1,3,5-(CH3)3C6H3)2Ga][AlBr4] (2) and (1,3,5-trimethylbenzene)gallium(I) tetraiodidoaluminate(III), [1,3,5-(CH3)3C6H3Ga][AlI4] (3) were synthesized from the corresponding subvalent GaI/AlIII mixed metal halides and characterized via C,H analysis, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and X-ray single crystal diffraction. Compound 1 crystallizes in the noncentrosymmetric monoclinic space group Cc isotypic to [(1,3,5-(CH3)3C6H3)2Ga][GaCl4]. For 2 and 3 the monoclinic space group P21/n is found, however, they are neither isotypic nor homotypic. While 2 is isotypic to [(1,3,5-(CH3)3C6H3)2In][InBr4], 3 establishes a new structure type. In the solids of all three title compounds coordination polymeric chains are found, in 1 and 2 built up from bis(arene)-coordinated, in 3 from mono(arene)-coordinated Ga+ ions and the corresponding AlX4− anions in a 1κCl:2κCl′ (1), 1κCl,Cl′:2κCl″ (2) or 1κCl,Cl′:2κCl″:3κCl‴ (3) bridging mode. Taking into account the weaker coordinating character of the AlCl4− as compared to the AlBr4− anion, in line with expectations the number of gallium halogen contacts is increased and the strength of the π-arene bonding is reduced in the bromide 2 as compared to the chloride 1. Finally, with the even more strongly coordinating AlI4− anion the arene coordination is limited to one molecule. Considering mesitylene complexes of gallium, the formation of a mono(arene) complex is unprecedented and even considering group 13 elements in general, the formation of a mono(mesitylene) complex like 3 is unusual. Furthermore, compound 3 is the first structurally characterized arene solvate of a main group metal tetraiodidometallate.

The borderless world of chemical bonding across the van der Waals crust and the valence region

“…They are coded in the CSD as bonded, and slight differences appear between the electron precise and hypercoordinated systems, except for the group 15 ones, for which no electron precise structures have been found. It is interesting to stress the presence of pristine group 13 MBz + molecular cations with hemispherical coordination, whose electronic structure is schematically depicted in 23 , where M is Ga, 242,243 In 244 or Tl, 245 all with similar penetration indices between 50 and 62%.…”