metal-organic compounds
Two copper complex solvatomorphs, namely (3,10-C-meso-3,5,7,7,10,12,14,14-octamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)bis(perchlorato-O)copper(II) 1.2-hydrate, [Cu(ClO4)2(C18H40N4)]·1.2H2O, (I), and (3,10-C-meso-3,5,7,7,10,12,14,14-octamethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradecane)bis(perchlorato-O)copper(II), [Cu(ClO4)2(C18H40N4)], (II), are described and compared with each other and with a third, already reported, anhydrous diastereomer, denoted (III). Both compounds present very similar centrosymmetic coordination environments, with the CuII cation lying on an inversion centre in a distorted 4+2 octahedral environment, defined by the macrocyclic N4 group in the equatorial sites and two perchlorate groups in trans-axial positions [one of the perchlorate ligands in (I) is partially disordered]. The most significant difference in molecular shape is seen in the orientation of the perchlorate anions, and the influence of this on the intramolecular hydrogen bonding is discussed. The (partially) hydrated state of (I) favours the formation of chains along [011], while the anhydrous character of (II) and (III) promotes loosely bound structures with low packing indices.
metal-organic compounds
The isomorphous title compounds, [Tr(S4O6)(C12H12N2)2]·2C3H7NO (Tr = CdII and ZnII), consist of metal centres to which one tetrathionate and two 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine chelating ligands bind. The structures are completed by two symmetry-related dimethylformamide solvent molecules. Each metal-centred complex is bisected by a twofold axis running through the metal centre and halving the chelating tetrathionate dianion through the central S—S bond. The ancillary symmetry-related 4,4′-dimethyl-2,2′-bipyridine ligands act as chelates. This results in a distorted six-coordinate geometry, with similar Tr—O/N distances but central angles differing substantially from 90 and 180°. Both ligands are basically featureless from a geometric point of view, with torsion angles in both coordinated tetrathionate groups suggesting a trend linking metal size (covalent radius) and ligand `openness'. Packing is directed by (C—H)aromaticO bridges and π–π offset stacked interactions defining chains along [001], further linked by weaker (C—H)methylO bridges, some of them mediated by the dimethylformamide solvent molecules.
organic compounds
The natural title compound, C11H12O4, extracted from the Chilean native tree Aristotelia chilensis (Maqui), is a polymorph of the synthetic E form reported by Xia, Hu & Rao [Acta Cryst. (2004), E60, o913-o914]. Both rotational conformers are identical from a metrical point of view, and only differ in the orientation of the 3,4-dihydroxyphenyl ring with respect to the rest of the molecule, which leads to completely different crystal structure arrangements and packing efficiencies. The reasons behind both reside in the different hydrogen-bonding interactions.