Complexes with ligands containing nitrile groups: Part V: Metal(I) and metal(II) methyl cyanide complexes with tetrachlorometallate(III) anions

A number of complexes of the general formula M(CH3CN)+pn(M′Cl4)−p is reported. The anions are the tetrachlorometallates: BCl−4, AlCl−4, GaCl−4, InCl−4, TICI−4, and FeCl−4. The cations M are the monovalent cations: Li, Na, Cu, Ag, (C2H5)4N, and the divalent cations: Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, and Pd. The cations are completely solvated by methyl cyanide in these complexes, except the tetraethylammonium salts and most of the sodium complexes. The compounds were synthesized in methyl cyanide by reaction of the metal chlorides with BCl3, AlCl3, GaCl3, InCl3, TlCl3 and FeCl3, respectively. A large number of complexes proved to be isomorphous from their X‐ray powder‐patterns. Information about the structure of the complexes was obtained from ligand‐field spectra, infrared spectra, and Mössbauer spectra. Structural information concerning the anions was obtained from far‐infrared spectra.