Crystal structure and magnetic properties of [C6H4(CH2NH3)2][CuCl3(H2O)]Cl·H2O

The preparation, crystal structure and magnetic properties of the title compound, (1,3-xylylenediammonium)auqatrichlorocuprate(II) chloride hydrate, have been determined. It is monoclinic, space group P21/c, with a=12.711(2), b=6.122(1), c=19.175(5) Å and β=96.72(2)° with V=1481.6(5) Å3 for Z=4. The structure contains several architectural features of significance. The compound contains planar CuCl3(H2O)− anions with CuCl distances ranging from 2.2590(8) to 2.3239(6) Å and a CuO distance of 1.991(2) Å. The anions form stacks through the formation of long (3.06 Å, average) semi-coordinate Cu⋯Cl bonds. Hydrogen bonding involving the coordinated and lattice water molecules ties the stacks together into two-dimensional arrays. The diammonium cations form organic layers interleaved between the inorganic arrays. The cations are anchored to the inorganic arrays by an efficient NH3⋯Cl hydrogen-bonding network. Magnetic measurements indicate that weak antiferromagnetic interactions (2J/k=−3.06 K) exist in the system, which is attributed to exchange coupling mediated by the semi-coordinate Cu⋯Cl bonds.