Bulk material vs. single crystal: powder diffraction to the rescue

The crystal structure of bulk microcrystalline material obtained by interaction of two rigid building blocks, namely dirhodium(ii) tetra(trifluoroacetate), Rh2(O2CCF3)4], and bis(4'-pyridyl)diphenylsilane, (C6H5)2Si(C5H4N)2, has been solved ab initio using X-ray powder diffraction data. The title product of the 1 ratio] 1 composition, Rh2(O2CCF3)4.(mu2-(C6H5)2Si(C5H4N)2)], is a one-dimensional zigzag polymer built on axial Rh...N interactions averaged at 2.16 A. Its structural characterization complements the previously reported product of the 2:1 composition obtained from the same reaction, namely {Rh2(O2CCF3)4]2.(mu4-(C6H5)2Si(C5H4N)2)}. The latter has a 2D layered network revealed by the single crystal diffraction study. A combination of powder and single crystal X-ray techniques is shown to be methodologically important and complementary for understanding of product assembling in the system.