Synthesis and crystal structure of tetranuclear zinc benzoate

Abstract

A tetranuclear zinc benzoate Zn4O(C6H5CO2)6 was synthesized and characterized by X-ray single crystal determination. It crystallizes in cubic, space groupIa-3d. Its crystal cell is very large,a=4. 100 63 (18) nm, V=68.953(5) nm3 and Z=48. The structure is composed of discrete Zn4O(C6H5CO2)6 molecules. In each molecule, four zinc atoms are held together by a central oxygen atom, which results in the formation of a regular tetrahedron. All benzoate ligands coordinate to zinc atoms in a bidentate bridging mode. Each zinc atom is in a slightly distorted tetrahedral geometry, coordinated by three benzoate oxygen atoms and the central oxygen atom. The intermolecular interactions result in the formation of a three-dimensional supramolecular framework, with non-intersecting parallel channels.