Crystal structure of octakis(4-methoxypyridinium)bis(4-methoxypyridine-kappa N)tetrakis(thiocyanato-kappa N)ferrate(III) bis[(4-methoxypyridine-kappa N)-pentakis(thiocyanato-kappa N)ferrate(III)] hexakis(thiocyanato-kappa N)ferrate(III) with iron in three different octahedral coordination environments

The crystal structure of the title salt, (C6H8NO)(8)[Fe(NCS)(4)(C6H7NO)(2)]-[Fe(NCS)(5)(C6H7NO)](2)[Fe(NCS)(6)], comprises three negatively charged octahedral Fe-III complexes with different coordination environments in which the Fe-III atoms are coordinated by a different number of thiocyanate anions and 4-methoxypyridine ligands. Charge balance is achieved by 4-methoxypyridinium cations. The asymmetric unit consists of three Fe-III cations, one of which is located on a centre of inversion, one on a twofold rotation axis and one in a general position, and ten thiocyanate anions, two 4-methoxypyridine ligands and 4-methoxypyridinium cations (one of which is disordered over two sets of sites). Beside to Coulombic interactions between organic cations and the ferrate(III) anions, weak N-H center dot center dot center dot S hydrogen-bonding interactions involving the pyridinium N-H groups of the cations and the thiocyanate S atoms of the complex anions are mainly responsible for the cohesion of the crystal structure.