Crystal structure of rubidium methyldiazotate

The title compound, Rb+·H3CN2O−, has been crystallized in liquid ammonia as a reaction product of the reductive ammonolysis of the natural compound streptozocin. Elemental rubidium was used as reduction agent as it is soluble in liquid ammonia, forming a blue solution. Reductive bond cleavage in biogenic materials under kinetically controlled conditions offers a new approach to gain access to sustainably produced raw materials. The anion is nearly planar [dihedral angle O—N—N—C = −0.4 (2)°]. The Rb+ cation has a coordination number of seven, and coordinates to five anions. One anion is bound via both its N atoms, one by both O and N, two anions are bound by only their O atoms, and the last is bound via the N atom adjacent to the methyl group. The diazotate anions are bridged by cations and do not exhibit any direct contacts with each other. The cations form corrugated layers that propagate in the (-101) plane