Chloridobis(1,10-phenanthroline-κN,N')(2,2,2-trichloro-acetato-κO)cobalt(II).

The title compound, [Co(C(2)Cl(3)O(2))Cl(C(12)H(8)N(2))(2)], was obtained by the reaction of trichloro-acetic acid and CoCl(2) in the presence of 1,10-phenanthroline. The Co(II) ion exhibits a distorted octa-hedral geometry, with three N atoms from two 1,10-phenanthroline ligands and the Cl(-) ion in the equatorial plane and one O atom from the trichloro-acetate ligand and one phenanthroline N atom in axial positions. This compound is isostructural with the analogous Mn(II) complex. The trichloro-methyl group of the trichloro-acetate ligand is disordered over two positions with occupancies of 0.190 (5) and 0.810 (5).