Organic-inorganic hybrid hexachloridostannate(IV) with 2-methylimidazo[1,5-A]pyridin-2-ium cation

The hybrid salt bis(2-methylimidazo[1,5-A]pyridin-2-ium) hexachloridostannate(IV), (C8H9N2)2 [SnCl6], crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P21/n with the asymmetric unit containing an Sn0.5Cl3 fragment (Sn site symmetry ) and one organic cation. The five-and six-membered rings in the cation are nearly coplanar; bond lengths in the pyridinium ring of the fused core are as expected; the C-N/C bond distances in the imidazolium entity fall in the range 1.337 (5)-1.401 (5) Å. The octahedral SnCl6 2- dianion is almost undistorted with the Sn-Cl distances varying from 2.4255 (9) to 2.4881 (8) Å and the cis Cl-Sn-Cl angles approaching 90°. In the crystal, π-stacked chains of cations and loosely packed SnCl62- dianions form separate sheets alternating parallel to (101). Most of the numerous C-H Cl-Sn contacts between the organic and inorganic counterparts with the H Cl distances above the van der Waals contact limit of 2.85 Å are considered a result of crystal packing.