Low-dimensional compounds containing cyanide groups. XXV. Synthesis, spectroscopic properties and crystal structures of two ionic iron(II) complexes with tricyanomethanide: tris(1,10-phenanthroline-κ(2)N,N')iron(II) bis(tricyanomethanide) and tris(2,2'-bipyridine-κ(2)N,N')iron(II) bis(tricyanomethanide) sesquihydrate.

Two new diamagnetic coordination compounds, [Fe(phen)3][C(CN)3]2, (I), and [Fe(bpy)3][C(CN)3]2·1.5H2O, (II), have been synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and IR and UV-Vis spectroscopy (phen is 1,10-phenanthroline, C12H8N2, and bpy is 2,2'-bipyridine, C10H8N2). Both compounds are ionic with distorted octahedral [Fe(phen)3](2+) or [Fe(bpy)3](2+) complex cations, with average Fe-N distances of 1.977 (2) and 1.971 (3) Å, respectively, and two uncoordinated planar tricyanomethanide, or [C(CN)3](-), counter-anions balancing the positive charges of the cations. Solvent water molecules and tcm anions in (II) are linked via O-H...N hydrogen bonds into negatively charged layers and the interlayer space is filled by [Fe(bpy)3](2+) cations. The structures of (I) and (II) are stabilized by π-π interactions between the stacked aromatic rings of the phen ligands of two adjacent cations and by O-H...N hydrogen bonds, respectively, and also by π-π stacking interactions between phen and tcm units in (I).