Structure of 2,2′-(5-tert-butyl-1,3-phenylene)bis(1-pentyl-1H-benzimidazol-3-ium) tetrachloridomercurate(II)

In the title salt, (C34H44N4)[HgCl4], the [C34H44N4]2+ cations and [HgCl4]2− anions are linked by N—H...Cl hydrogen bonds. One of the two n-pentyl side chains was refined as disordered over two sets of sites, with occupancies of 0.733 (18) and 0.267 (18). The geometry around the HgII atom in the [HgCl4]2− anion is distorted tetrahedral, with bond angles ranging from 98.16 (3) to 120.68 (3)°. In the [HgCl4]2− anion, there are two short Hg—Cl bonds [2.4120 (9) and 2.4171 (11) Å], one intermediate Hg—Cl bond [2.4716 (12) Å] and one long Hg—Cl bond [2.6579 (13) Å] for the Cl atom involved in a trifurcated hydrogen bond as an acceptor, including two N—H...Cl...H—N interactions as well as one C—H...Cl interaction. There are several C—H...Cl interactions, with C...Cl distances ranging from 3.492 (3) to 3.796 (3) Å. These link the cations and anions into a zigzag chain along the c-axis direction. In addition, there are Cl...Cl halogen bonds, as well as π–π interactions, with centroid-to-centroid distances of 3.4765 (18) Å, which link one of the two benzimidazole moieties into dimeric units