Indium(I) heptachlorodigallate(III), InGa2Cl7

Indium(I) heptachlorodigallate(III), InGa2Cl7, has been obtained from a mixture of In, Bi and GaCl3 in a melt of [bmim][Al(nftb)(4)] under argon at 373 K. The crystal structure of InGa2Cl7 [orthorhombic, Pna2(1) (no.33), a = 1185.7(2), b = 891.4(4), c = 1071.6(2) pm, V = 1132.6(3) center dot 10(6) pm(3), Z = 4, T = 298 K, R-1 for 1994 reflections with I-0 > 2 alpha(I-0): 0.0692] contains discrete indium(l) cations and Ga2Cl7 anions. InGa2Cl7 crystallizes isotypic with Ga3Cl7 and KGa2Cl7. In-1 is coordinated by ten chloride anions in an irregular (4+6) mode. No evidence was found for the stereochemical activity of the In-5s(2) electron pair.