Tetrakis[phthalocyaninato(2-)antimony(III)] hexadecaiodotetraantimony(III)

Crystals of a new antimony(III) phthalocyanine complex with the formula [Sb(C32H16N8)]4(Sb4I16), or (SbPc)4+*[Sb(4)I(16)]4-, where Pc is phthalocyaninate, have been obtained by the reaction of pure powdered antimony with phthalonitrile under a stream of iodine vapour. The crystals are built up from separate but interacting (SbPc)+ cations and centrosymmetric [Sb4I16]4- anions. Each Sb atom of two independent (SbPc)+ units is bonded to the four isoindole N atoms of the phthalocyaninate(2-) macrocycle and lies 1.0 A out of the plane defined by four isoindole N atoms. The anionic part of the complex consists of four SbI6 distorted octahedra joined together into a centrosymmetric [Sb4I16]4- anion. The arrangement of oppositely charged moieties in the crystal is mainly determined by ionic attraction and by a set of distinct donor-acceptor interactions between (SbPc)+ and [Sb4I16]4- ions.