Disordered crystal structure of pentamethylcyclopentadienylsodium as seen by high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction.

The crystal structure of pentamethylcyclopentadienylsodium, [NaC10H15] (NaCp*), has been determined from high-resolution X-ray powder diffraction. The compound crystallizes in space group Cmcm with lattice parameters a = 4.61030 (3), b = 16.4621 (3), c = 14.6751 (2) A, V = 1113.77 (4) A(3) (Z = 4). NaCp* forms polymeric multidecker chains along the a axis. The Rietveld refinement (R(p) = 0.050 and R(F) = 0.163) shows that the Cp* moieties occupy, with disorder, two different orientations rotated away from the eclipsed conformation by +/-13.8 degrees.