Crystal structure of the 1:1 adduct SbCl 3 GaCl 3

Crystals of dichloroantimony(III) tetrachlorogallate(III) are monoclinic, space group P2 1 /c with: a = 9.837(2) Å, b = 7.812(2) Å, c = 12.504(2) Å, β = 101.0(2)°. The structure was refined by three dimensional least‐squares method to R = 5.2% for 1051 independent reflections. The antimony atom has two nearest chlorine neighbours at 2.295(4) Å and 2.299(4) Å giving the expected angular conformation and two other neighbours at 2.713(4) Å and 2.772(4) Å completing with the lone pair a trigonal bipyramid environment around antimony. The GaCl 4 − groups, highly distorted from regular tetrahedral geometry, strongly interact with SbCl 2 + via GaCl···Sb bridges giving an endless polymeric chain.