Synthesis and Crystal Structure of Tris(N-p-methylphenyl-3-hydroxy-2-ethyl-4-pyridinonato)iron(III)

The complex [Fe(C14H14NO2)3]2H2O has been prepared by reaction of N-p-methylphenyl-3-hydroxy-2-ethyl-4-pyridinone with FeCl36H2O. A single-crystal X-ray study shows that the iron atoms lie in a trigonally distorted octahedral environment coordinated to the hydroxy and ketone oxygen atoms of three ligands in the mer configuration Mr=773.57(C42H46N3O8Fe). The crystal is hexagonal with space group P31c; a=15.943(2), c=17.612(4)? V=3877.0(12)?, Z=4, Dc=1.325g/cm3, m=0.445mm-1, F(000)=1634, R=0.0446, wR= 0.1154 for 3085 reflections with I >2s(I). The bond lengths from iron to oxygens are 1.980(1)?for the ketone oxygens and 2.071(1)?for the hydroxy oxygens. The molecule exhibits the expected propeller shape, and the angle of the trigonal twist is 48.37. The dihedral angles are 0.5(2)?between chelate ring plane and pyridine ring plane and 71.31(7)?between pyridine ring plane and benzene ring plane. The solvent H2O(O(3) and O(4)) molecules are linked with O(2) and O(1) by hydrogen bonds with bond lengths 2.900(1) and 2.999(1)? respectively.