The role of intermolecular interactions in the assemblies of Fe and Co tetrakis-isothiocyanatometalates with tris(1,10-phenanthroline)-Ru: Crystal structures of two dual-metal assemblies featuring octahedral cationic and tetrahedral anionic modules

Two new dual-metal assemblies: 2[Ru(phen)₃]²⁺·[Fe(SCN)₄]²⁻·2SCN⁻·4H₂O 1 and [Ru(phen)₃]²⁺·[Co(SCN)₄]²⁻2, (phen:1,10-phenanthroline), have been prepared and their structures were characterized by X-ray diffraction. In 1, the cationic octahedral enantiomers are arranged with a ΛΔΛΔΛ sequence supported by π-π stacking and the anionic inorganic tetrahedral units are oriented between these stacks by interacting with the nearby water molecules through strong O-H?O and O-H?S hydrogen bonds. In 2, homochiral double helices in the b-direction are revealed, with tetrakis-isothiocyanate Co^II anions arranged in the crystal to furnish one-dimensional (1D)-helical chains with S?S intermolecular interactions at 3.512(2) and 3.966(2) Å supporting [Ru(phen)₃]²⁺Λ- and Δ-helices with Ru?Ru shortest distance of 8.676(7) Å. In both 1 and 2, the supramolecular assembly is maintained by C-H?S hydrogen bonds extending between the phenanthroline aromatic carbons in the cationic nodes and the sulphur atoms of the isothiocyanates anions. Analysis of S?S interactions in isothiocyanate containing compounds using Cambridge structural database (CSD) showed an angle dependence categorizing these interactions into “type-I” and “type-II”.