Syntheses and crystal structures of hydrated complexes of strontium and barium bromides with 18-crown-6

Two complexes, namely, triaqua(18-crown-6)strontium dibromide monohydrate (I) and diaquabromo(18-crown-6)barium bromide (II), are synthesized. Their crystal structures are determined by X-ray diffraction analyses. For complex I, space group C2/c, a = 17.547 Å, b = 10.246 Å, c = 14.786 Å, β = 123.08°, Z = 4. For complex II, space group Pnma, a = 17.753 Å, b = 17.465 Å, c = 6.629 Å, Z = 4. The structures are solved by a direct method and refined by the full-matrix least-squares method in the anisotropic approximation to R = 0.056 (I) and 0.042 (II) for 2696 (I) and 2440 (II) independent reflections (CAD-4 automated diffractometer, λMoK _α radiation). Both complex cations—randomly disordered Sr(18C6)(H₂O)₃]²⁺ in complex I and BaBr(18C6)(H₂O)₂]⁺ in complex II—are of the host-guest type. The Sr²⁺ (Ba²⁺) cation resides in the cavity of the 18-crown-6 ligand and coordinated by all six O atoms. In the structures complexes I and II, the coordination polyhedra of the Sr²⁺ and Ba²⁺ cations (coordination number 9) can be described as distorted hexagonal bipyramids with one apex at the O atom of the water molecule in complex I or at the Br^? ligand in complex II and the other split apex at the O atoms of two water molecules.