The chemistry of cobalt acetate: The isolation and crystal structure of the symmetric trimer, hesakis(mu-acetato)-mu(3)-oxo-tris(pyridine)tricobalt(III) perchlorate water solvate, [Co3O(CH3CO2)(6)(C5H5N)(3)][ClO4]center dot H2O

The isolation and characterization by single-crystal X-ray diffraction (refined to R = 0.066, R(w) = 0.058) of the perchlorate salt of the symmetric trimeric cation, [Co3O(CH3 CO2)(6)(C5H5N)(3)](+), are reported. The compound crystallizes in space group P2(1/n)(No. 14) as its water solvate, [Co3O(CH3CO2)(6)(C5H5N)(3)][ClO4]. H2O. The oxo-centred trimeric cations have a planar Co3ON3 core, with an equilateral triangle of cobalt atoms around the central oxygen and average distances 3.194(1) (Co...Co) and 1.845(8) Angstrom (Co-mu(3)-O).