Crystal structure of [(1,2,3,4,11,12-η)-anthracene]tris-(tri-methyl-stann-yl)cobalt(III).

The asymmetric unit of the title structure, [Co(η(6)-C14H10){Sn(CH3)3}3], contains two independent mol-ecules. Each anthracene ligand is η(6)-coordinating to a Co(III) cation and is nearly planar [fold angles of 5.4 (3) and 9.7 (3)°], as would be expected for its behaving almost entirely as a donor to a high-oxidation-state metal center. The slight fold in each anthracene ligand gives rise to slightly longer Co-C bond lengths to the ring junction carbon atoms than to the other four. Each Co(III) cation is further coordinated by three Sn(CH3)3 ligands, giving each mol-ecule a three-legged piano-stool geometry. In each of the two independent mol-ecules, the trio of SnMe3 ligands are modeled as disordered over two positions, rotated by approximately 30%, such that the C atoms nearly overlap. In one mol-ecule, the disorder ratio refined to 0.9365 (8):0.0635 (8), while that for the other refined to 0.9686 (8):0.0314 (8). The mol-ecules are well separated, and thus no significant inter-molecular inter-actions are observed. The compound is of inter-est as the first structure report of an η(6)-anthracene cobalt(III) complex.