Self-assembly of long-chain quaternary ammonium cations in a hybrid inorganic-organic material with one-dimensional polymeric tribromidoplumbate(II).

catena-Poly[benzyldecyldimethylammonium [plumbate(II)-tri-µ-bromido]], {(C(19)H(34)N)[PbBr(3)]}(n), crystallizes as an inorganic-organic hybrid following monoclinic space-group symmetry P2(1)/c. The structure consists of extended chains running along the [001] direction and built of [PbBr(3)](-) units. These inorganic chains are separated by interdigitated ammonium cations which form hydrophilic layers through weak C-H···Br interactions. The architecture is essentialy the same as found for n-alkylbenzyldimethylammonium bromides.

Benzyltripropylammonium bromide: a structure in polar space group P4(2)bc.

Crystals of the title compound, C(16)H(28)N(+).Br(-), were grown from solution in a mixture of acetone and propan-2-ol by slow evaporation. The structure was solved in the polar space group P4(2)bc with five moieties in the asymmetric unit, namely two benzyltripropylammonium cations in general positions, and two Br(-) anions in special Wyckoff positions (4a2. and 4b2.) and one in a general position. The structure consists of two kinds of molecular columns parallel to c, built of cations connected through C-H.pi hydrogen bonds and stabilized by weak C-H.Br interactions.