The crystal and molecular structure of NN′-bis(salicylideneiminato)-iron( III )chloride as a five-co-ordinate monomer

Recrystallisation of dimeric (Fe salen Cl)2[salen =NN′(bis-salicylideneiminato)] from nitromethane yields crystals of monomoric (Fe salen Cl) whose crystal and molecular structures have been determined by X-ray methods. Five-co-ordinate, square-pyramidal complex molecules and nitromethane solvent molecules pack together in the space group Pn21a which appears to be a superlattice resulting from a cell alternation of left- and right-handed (Fe salen Cl) molecules in the space group P212121. The distortions of the “salen” ligand and the position of the metal atom with respect to it are described and compared with similar details in other molecules.