Crystal Structure of Tetrakis (phenacetin) Dihydrogentetraiodide Dihydrate {[H5C2OC6H4N (H)C(CH3)O]4·H2I4·2H2O}

(Phenacetin)₄·₂I₄·2H₂O is triclinic, a = 13.641 (7), b = 12.807 (6), c = 7.201 (3) Å, α = 99.8 (4), b? = 86.5 (4), γ = 104.0 (5)°, P1 , Z = 1. The ordered crystal structure has been refined to R_F = 0.050, using 4173 independent reflections measured on a four-circle diffractometer with MoKa (graphite monochromator) radiation. The crystals are composed of alternating positively and negatively charged slices; each positive slice contains a double layer of stacks of hemi-protonated phenacetin molecules which are H-bonded through their carbonyl groups (d(O - - - O) = 2.432 (4) Å) while each negative slice contains a single layer of I^2?₄-ions linked in chains along [100] through H-bonds to pairs of water molecules. The axes of the phenacetin stacks are parallel to the planes of the (I^2?₄·2H₂O)-layers. The I^2?₄-ion is centro-symmetric and can be approximately represented as I^?- - - I–I- - - I^? (d(I^? - - - I) = 3.404 (1) Å; d(I–I) = 2.774 (1) Å). The compound is a pseudo-type A basic salt.