On the symmetry of iron(III) tris-acetylacetonate crystals

The crystal structure of iron tris-acetylacetonate is re-determined. Crystal data at 293 K are: a = 15.4524(5) Å, b = 13.5876(4) Å, c = 16.5729(7) Å, Z = 8; at 150 K: a = 15.2541(4) Å, b = 13.4451(3) Å, c = 16.4256(5) Å, Z = 8. The structure is molecular and comprises isolated molecules. The coordination polyhderon of iron is an almost regular octahedron, Fe-O bond lengths are 1.977–2.003 Å (293 K) and 1.982–2.006 Å (150 K). In the crystalline state, the molecules are arranged in layers, and iron atoms are located on a plane yielding an almost regular trigonal net with the Fe...Fe separations of 7.558–8.103 Å (293 K) and 7.472–8.017 Å (150 K). The adjacent layer is positioned exactly over the first one with a Fe...Fe distance of 8.303 Å (293 K) and 8.236 Å (150 K).