The correct assignment of stereochemistry in di-μ-dichlorido-bis­{bis­[2-(5-benzyl­sulfonyl)-3-fluoro-2-(pyridin-2-yl)phenyl-κ²N,C¹]iridium(III)} toluene monosolvate

The title complex, [Ir₂(C₁₈H₁₃FNO₂S)₄Cl₂]·C₇H₈, was crystallized from dichloro­methane solution under a toluene atmos­phere. It is a dimeric complex in which each of the two Ir^III centres is octa­hedrally coordinated by two bridging chloride ligands and by two chelating cyclo­metalated 2-(4-benzyl­sulfonyl-2-fluorophenyl)pyridine ligands. The crystal structure analysis unequivocally establishes the trans disposition of the two cyclo­metalated ligands bound to each Ir^III centre, contrary to our previous hypothesis of a cis disposition. The latter was based on the ¹H NMR spectra of a series of dimeric benzyl­sulfonyl-functionalized dichloride-bridged iridium complexes, including the compound described in the present work [Ragni et al. (2009). Chem. Eur. J. 15, 136–148]. The toluene solvent mol­ecules, embedded in cavities in the crystal structure, are highly disordered and could not be modelled successfully; their contribution was removed from the refinement using the SQUEEZE routine in the program PLATON [Spek (2009). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155].