Reactivity of bis(cyclohexylammonium) 4-nitrophenylphosphate with SnMe₃Cl. X-ray structure of 4-NO₂ C₆ H₄ PO₄(SnMe₃)_2·H₂O

The reaction of bis(cyclohexylammonium) 4-nitrophenylphosphate with Me₃ SnCl (1:2) under reflux in ethanol yielded the title compound 4-NO₂
C₆ H₄ PO₄(SnMe₃)2H₂ O (1). The X-ray crystallographic analysis achieved on single crystals obtained by slow evaporation at room temperature revealed the formation of an unexpected supramolecular coordination network. The elementary building block can be viewed as two Me₃ Sn moieties linked by a bridging 4-nitrophenylphosphate ligand. The two tin atoms are five-coordinated and describe a trans-Me₃ SnO₂ geometry in a trigonal bipyramidal arrangement. However, the Sn atoms are distinct, exhibiting two different environments. Thus, one is linked to two axial oxygen atoms from two distinct phosphato groups, whereas the other is bound to one phosphato oxygen atom and to a water molecule. From a supramolecular point of view, the combination of the tridentate binding mode of 4-NO₂ C₆ H₄ PO₄ and the additional formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions between NO₂/H₂ O and PO₄/H₂ O groups gives rise to a three-dimensional lattice network.