Ethylenediammonium bis[bis[N-(2-aminoethyl)glycinato-kappa(3)N,N',O]chromium(III)] tetrachloride dihydrate at 293 and 100 K.

The crystal structure of the title compound, (C(2)H(10)N(2))[Cr(C(4)H(9)N(2)O(2))(2)](2)Cl(4) x 2H(2)O, has been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies at 293 and 100 K. The analyses demonstrated that the crystal consists of ethylenediammonium dications (which lie about inversion centres), bis[N-(2-aminoethyl)glycinato]chromium(III) monocations, Cl(-) anions and hydrate water molecules, in a molecular ratio of 1:2:4:2. The complex cation unit has a slightly distorted octahedrally coordinated Cr atom, with two Cr[bond]O and four Cr[bond]N bonds in the ranges 1.951 (1)-1.953 (1) and 2.054 (1)-2.089 (2) A, respectively, at 293 K. The geometry of the bis[N-(2-aminoethyl)glycinato]chromium(III) moiety was found to be trans,cis,cis with respect to the carboxylate O atom and the primary and secondary amine N atoms. The two analyses, at 293 and 100 K, exhibited no remarkable structural differences, although the colour of the crystals did differ, being red at 293 K and orange at 100 K.