Abstract
The crystal structure of the title compound [Zr(pc)
2
] has been solved by X-ray diffraction techniques. The cell is triclinic,
P
1&cmb.macr;;
a
= 13.410(2)Å,
b
= 13.400(7)Å,
c
= 16.340(11)Å, α= 68.68(1)°,
β
= 65.92(1)°,
γ
= 74.74(1)°,
R
= 0.039 and
R
′= 0.058 for 6576 reflections. The infrared spectrum and details of the solvent dependence of the electronic absorption spectrum are also given. [Zr(pc)
2
] has the most distorted rings of all the metal bisphthalocyanines so far reported. The distortion is primarily caused by the Zr-N distances (average 2.30 Å), which though long for such Zr bonding, are very small when compared to other M-N bonds in similar structures. Cyclic voltammograms of [Zr(pc)
2
] are presented and discussed. The distorted structure has a detrimental effect on the electrochromic properties of the molecule, aiding decomposition during oxidation.