The crystal and molecular structure of zinc(II) monoglycerolate

An X-ray crystallographic analysis of zinc(II) monoglycerolate has been carried out. The crystals are monoclinic, space group P21/c with a 8.110(1), b 6.404(1), c 8.714(2)Å ß 93.44(1)º. The structure was refined by full-matrix least-squares techniques to an R factor (on 519F) of 0.019. The analysis reveals that the zinc atoms bridge the glycerolate molecules forming polymeric sheets lying parallel to the bc plane. Only aliphatic hydrogens are disposed into the space between the layers, a fact consistent with the lubricity and hydrophobic nature of the solid complex and the observed facile lamellar cleavage perpendicular to the a axis.