Structural characterization, spectroscopic, thermal, AC conductivity and dielectric properties and antimicrobial studies of (C₈H₁₂N)₂[SnCl₆]

Abstract

A new inorganic-organic hybrid material produced from 2,6-dimethylanilinium cations and tin halide (SnCl6)2− has been synthesized and structurally determined by X-ray diffraction method. The title compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, space group C2/m with a = 19.8772(4), b = 6.9879(1), c = 8.3001(2) Å, β = 98.487(2)° and V = 1140.26(4) Å3. The crystal structure is built up of sheets of (SnCl6)2− octahedral anions and 2,6-xylidinium cations. The optical band gap was calculated and found to be 4.11 eV. At high temperature this compound exhibits a structural phase transition at 338 K. This has been characterized by differential scanning calorimetric and dielectric studies. Measurements of AC conductivity as a function of frequency at different temperatures indicated the hopping conduction mechanism. The bioassay results showed that the structure exhibits significant antibacterial activity.