A three‐dimensional net of Δ‐tris(1,10‐phenanthroline)ruthenium(II) in the dual‐metal self‐assembly of bis[tris(1,10‐phenanthroline)ruthenium(II)] tetraisothiocyanatoiron(II) bis(perchlorate)

The title compound, [Ru(C₁₂H₈N₂)₃]₂[Fe(NCS)₄](ClO₄)₂, crystallizes in a tetragonal chiral space group (P4₁2₁2) and the assigned absolute configuration of the optically active molecules was unequivocally confirmed. The Δ‐[Ru^II(phen)₃]²⁺ complex cations (phen is 1,10‐phenanthroline) interact along the 4₁ screw axis parallel to the c axis, with an Ru...Ru distance of 10.4170 (6) Å, and in the ab plane, with Ru...Ru distances of 10.0920 (6) and 10.0938 (6) Å, defining a primitive cubic lattice. The Fe atom is situated on the twofold axis diagonal in the ab plane. The supramolecular architecture is supported by C—H...O interactions between the [Ru^II(phen)₃]²⁺ cation and the disordered perchlorate anion. This study adds to the relatively scarce knowledge about intermolecular interactions between [Ru(phen)₃]²⁺ ions in the solid state, knowledge that eventually may also lead to a better understanding of the solution state interactions of this species; these are of immense interest because of the photochemical properties of these ions and their interactions with DNA.