A spiral-like chain from a hydrogen-bonded cyclic dichloride containing a water dimer in a quaternary diammonium dichloride trihydrate

Abstract

The reaction of benzyl chloride with tetramethylethylenediamine (tmen) results in the formation of the quaternary diammonium dichloride trihydrate (dbtmen)Cl2·3H2O 1 (dbtmen is N,N'-dibenzylN,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediammonium) in good yields. 1 crystallises in the monoclinic P21/c space group and its structure consists of N,N'-dibenzyl-N,N,N',N'-tetramethylethylenediammonium dication, two chloride anions and three crystal water molecules all of which are located in general positions. The organic dication is H-bonded to the chloride anions and the crystal waters with the help of intra- and intermolecular C–H...Cl and C–H...O interactions, while the chloride anions are linked to the crystal waters via O–H...Cl interactions. One of the crystal waters is linked through an intermolecular O–H...O bond with another water resulting in the formation of a water dimer. The O–H...Cl and O–H...O interactions between the chloride anions and water molecules lead to the formation of a five-membered {O3Cl2} cyclic dichloride containing a water dimer. The five-membered rings are linked into a chain with the aid of a O–H...Cl interaction. The organic cations are organised in zigzag fashion on either side of the chain and are further linked to the anionic water chain via weak C–H...O and C–H...Cl interactions, leading to the supramolecular organisation of the rings into a spiral-like of chain.