The enrichment ratio of atomic contacts in the crystal structure of isomeric, triply protonated, 4'-functionalized terpyridine cations with [ZnCl4]2- as counter-ion.

We report herein the synthesis, crystallographic analysis and a study of the non-covalent inter-actions observed in the new 4'-substituted terpyridine-based derivative bis-[4'-(isoquinolin-2-ium-4-yl)-4,2':6',4''-terpyridine-1,1''-diium] tris-[tetra-chlorido-zincate(II)], (C24H19N4)2[ZnCl4]3 or (44TPH3)2[ZnCl4]3, where (44TPH3)3+ is the triply protonated cation 4'-(isoquinolinium-4-yl)-4,2':6',4'' terpyridinium. The compound is similar in its formulation to the recently reported 2,2':6',2'' terpyridinium analogue {bis-[4'-(isoquinolin-2-ium-4-yl)-2,2':6',2''-terpyridine-1,1''-diium] tris-[tetra-chlorido-zincate(II)] monohydrate; Granifo et al. (2017 ▸). Acta Cryst. C73, 1121-1130}, although rather different and much simpler in its structural features, mainly in the number and type of non-covalent inter-actions present, as well as in the supra-molecular structure they define.