[N,N-BIS(2-AMINOETHYL-N'-(2-AMINOETHYLIDENE)ETHANE-1,2-DIAMINE]CHLOROCOBALT(III) PERCHLORATE

The structure of the title compound, [CoCl(C8H21N5)]2ClO(4), consists of octahedral [Co(trenenim)Cl](2+) cations [where trenenim = N,N-bis(2-aminoethyl-N'(2-aminoethylidene)ethane-1,2-diamine] with two perchlorate anions acting as counterions. The bond lengths and angles about N(2) and C(3) provide clear evidence for the presence of an imine bond. A short Co-N(2) distance of 1.863(2) Angstrom reflects the fact that this N atom is an imine N atom. The corresponding Co-N distance in the related saturated system [Co(trenen)Cl](2+) [where trenen = N,N,N'-tris-(2-aminoethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine] is also substantially shorter than the others. In both cases, the secondary N atom on the appended arm has a stronger affinity for Co-III than the primary and tertiary N atoms within the ligand framework.