The crystal and molecular structure and the electronic spectrum of bis(trimethylamine)oxovanadium(IV) dichloride

Abstract

A crystal structure analysis of the complex bis(trimethylamine)oxovanadium(IV) dichloride VOCl₂·2NMe₃ is reported. The co-ordination polyhedron, which in the crystal has C_2v symmetry, is based on a trigonal bipyramid. The oxygen atom occupies an equatorial position and the trimethylamine groups the axial positions. The vanadium to oxygen bond length is 1·59 (0·02)Å and within experimental error the angles in the equatorial plane are all 120°. The electronic spectra have been recorded in the solid state and in several solvents and an assignment of the ligand-field bands is made on the basis of a model having C_2v symmetry.